University  of  California 

Los  Angeles 


Form  I 


T9 


MAY  8     1925 

MAY  1  2  1925 

MA*  1  B  1925 
AN  2  81926 

AUG  6      1928 
WAY  1  5  Ma 


. 


,( 


•it-    3  0  195S 


.ffi  MAR 
MAY 


-/L 


Form  L-9-5m-5.'24 


CONCRETE  POTTERY 


AND 


GARDEN  FURNITURE 


BY 
RALPH    C.    DAVISON 

ASSISTANT  SECRETARY  CONCRETE  ASSOCIATION 
OF  AMERICA 


WITH     140    ILLUSTRATIONS 


-2-  I 


NEW     YORK 


MUNN  &  CO.,  Inc.,  Publishers 


1910 


Copyright   1909,  by  Munn  &  Co.,  Inc. 


All  Rights   Reserved. 


The  right  of  translation  in  all   languages  is  reserved   including 
the  Scandinavian. 


Entered  at  Stationer's  Hall, 
London,  England,  1909. 


MACGOWAN  &  SLIPPER,  Printers 

30  Beekman  St. 
Mew  York,  U.  S.  A. 


PREFACE 

SO  MUCH  interest  has  been  manifested 
of  late  in  ornamental  concrete,  and  so 
little  seems  to  be  known  about  the  un- 
limited possibilities  of  the  artistic  treatment  of 
this  material,  that  the  author  has  endeavored 
in  the  following  chapters  to  explain  in  detail 
how  concrete  can  be  made  into  objects  of  art. 

Numerous  inquiries  have  come  to  me 
from  craftsmen  who  are  anxious  to  work  in 
this  material  but  none  of  whom  understand 
the  nature  of  the  material  or  the  method  in 
which  it  is  to  be  handled. 

It  is  such  in  particular  I  had  in  mind 
when  preparing  this  work  and  have  therefore 
been  most  minute  in  my  descriptions  of  how 
the  various  pieces  described  are  to  be  made. 
I  have  taken  for  granted  that  the  reader 
knows  nothing  whatever  about  the  material 
and  have  explained  each  progressive  step  in 
the  various  operations  throughout  in  detail. 
These  directions  I  have  supplemented  with 


iv  Preface 

illustrations  which  I  have  endeavored  to  make 
so  clear  that  no  one  can  misunderstand 
them. 

The  method  of  using  wire  forms  as  a 
base  on  which  to  build  up  the  finished  piece 
is  original  with  myself  as  far  as  I  know,  as 
is  also  the  development  of  color  work  in 
cement.  The  chapter  on  the  latter  as  well  as 
those  on  Garden  Furniture  should  appeal 
strongly  to  the  professional  as  well  as  the  lay- 
man inasmuch  as  there  is  a  large  and  growing 
demand  for  this  class  of  work. 

The  amateur  craftsman  who  has  been 
working  in  clay  will  especially  appreciate  the 
adaptability  of  concrete  for  pottery  work  in- 
asmuch as  it  is  a  cold  process  throughout, 
thus  doing  away  with  the  necessity  of  kiln 
firing,  which  is  necessary  with  the  former 
material. 

The  textures  which  can  be  obtained  on 
articles  made  of  concrete,  as  described  in  the 
chapter  on  aggregates,  in  many  instances  are 
far  superior  to  those  which  can  be  obtained 
with  any  other  materials,  as  they  have  a  dis- 
tinct characteristic  of  their  own  and  are  full 
of  life  and  sparkle. 


Preface  v. 

If  the  reader  derives  as  much  pleasure  as 
the  author  has  done  in  experimenting  with 
the  material  and  in  making  the  various  articles 
described  throughout  the  following  pages 
the  purpose  of  this  work  will  have  been 
accomplished. 

RALPH  C.   DAVISON 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  I. 
MAKING  WIRE  FORMS  OR  FRAMES i 

CHAPTER  II. 

COVERING  THE  WIRE  FRAMES  AND  MODEL- 
ING THE  CEMENT  MORTAR  INTO  FORM.     10 

CHAPTER  III. 
PLASTER  MOLDS  FOR  SIMPLE  FORMS 19 

CHAPTER  IV. 

PLASTER    MOLDS    FOP    OBJECTS    HAVING 

CURVED    OUTLINES 33 

CHAPTER  V. 

COMBINATION  OF  CASTING  AND  MODELING 

— AN  EGYPTIAN  VASE 45 

CHAPTER  VI. 
GLUE   MOLDS 59 


viit  Contents 

CHAPTER  VII. 

COLORED   CEMENTS   AND   METHODS   USED 

FOR  PRODUCING  DESIGNS  WITH  SAME  .  .      89 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
SELECTION  OF  AGGREGATES 99 

CHAPTER  IX. 

WOODEN  MOLDS — ORNAMENTAL  FLOWER 
POTS  MODELED  BY  HAND  AND  INLAID 
WITH  COLORED  TILE no 

CHAPTER  X. 
CONCRETE   PEDESTALS .  . . .    122 

CHAPTER  XL 
CONCRETE  BENCHES . . . . .    144 

CHAPTER  XII. 
CONCRETE  FENCES 158 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
MISCELLANEOUS 189 


INDEX  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

Fig.  i— Wire  Frames  for  Cement  Pottery 3 

Fig.  2— Flower  Vases 4 

Fig.  3 — Pieces  of  Wire  Frame  for  Round  Jar. 5 

Fig.  4 — Bending  Wire  Lath  into  Circular  Form 6 

Fig.  5 — Concrete  Flower  Box 7 

Fig.  6 — Pieces  of  Wire  Frame  for  Square  Jar 8 

Fig.  7— Attaching  Rough  Coated  Jar  to  Wood  Former. . .  12 

Fig.  8 — Template  for  Forming  Jar 13 

Fig.  9 — A  Good  Design  for  a  Plaster  Mold 15 

Fig.  10 — Truing  Inner  Face  of  Jar 16 

Fig.  ii — Truing  Inner  Face  of  Bottom  of  Jar 17 

Fig.  12 — Wooden  Model  of  Square  Box 20 

Fig.  13 — Window  Boxes 21 

Fig.  14— Method  of  Placing  Clay 22 

Fig.  15 — Two  Halves  of  Mold  Showing  Joggles 24 

Fig.  16 — Concrete  Flower  Box 25 

Fig.  17 — Details  of  Piece  Core 26 

Fig.  18 — Casting  the  Plaster  Case 28 

Fig.  19— Plaster  Mold  Set  Up  for  Casting  Cement 29 

Fig.  20 — Concrete  Jar  with  Limestone  Finish 31 

Fig.  21 — Correct  and  Incorrect  Methods  of  Dividing  a 

Mold  33 

Fig.  22 — Successive  Steps  in  Molding  an  Outside  Plaster 

Mold  34 

Fig.  23 — A  Core  Made  in  Four  Pieces 35 

Fig.  24 — A  Grecian  Water  Jar 35 

Fig.  25— Box  for  Turning  Plaster 36 

Fig.  26 — Template  for  Inner  Part  of  Core 36 

Fig.  27— A  Concrete  Vase  of  Bold  Design 38 

Fig.  28 — Template  for  Plaster  Model 40 


x  Illustrations 

Fig.  29  — A  Finished  Plaster  Model 40 

Fig.  30  — A  Grecian  Vase 40 

Fig.  31  — Casting   Plaster  Case 41 

Fig.  32  —Plaster  Mold  in  Position  tc  Receive  Cement  ...  42 

Fig.  33  — Progressive  Steps  in  Making  a  Mold  for  a  Vase .  43 

Fig.  34  — Egyptian    Vase 45 

Fig.  35  — Making  Outside  Mold  and  Core 46 

Fig.  36  — Detail  of  Vase 47 

Fig.  37  — Assembled  Mold  for  Vase 48 

Fig.  38  — Forming  Bottom  of  Vase 50 

Fig.  39  — Reversing  Cast 51 

Fig.  40  — Vases   and    Pedestal 52 

Fig.  41  — Forming  Top  of  Vase 52 

Fig.  42  — Mold  for  Casting  Handles 53 

Fig.  43  — Concrete  Table 54 

Fig.  44  — Applying  Handles  to  Jar 56 

Fig.  45  — Cast  from  Glue  Mold 60 

Fig.  453 — Glue   Mold 61 

Fig.  46  — Cast  from  Glue  Mold 62 

Fig.  463 — Glue   Mold 63 

Fig.  47  — Heavy  Undercut  Work  Cast  in  Glue  Molds 64 

Fig.  48  — Model  in  Position  to  Cover  with  Clay 65 

Fig.  49  — Model  Covered  with  Clay  and  Plaster  Case 6,5 

Fig.  50  —A  Heavy  Piece  Cast  in  a  Glue  Mold 66 

Fig.  51  — Model  and  Plaster  Case  in  Position  Ready  for 

Pouring  the  Glue 67 

Fig.  52  — Holding  Case  to  Working  Board 67 

Fig.  53  — Concrete  Fountain 63 

Fig.  54  — Concrete  Sundial  Pedestal  or  Table  Base 69 

Fig.  55  — Melting  Pots   for  Glue 70 

Fig.  56  — Melting  Pot  made  from  two  Tin  Pails 71 

Fig.  57  — Ornamental    Figures 72 

Fig.  58  — Concrete  Vase  with  Relief  Design 73 

Fig.  59  — Highly  Ornate  Concrete  Table 74 

Fig.  60  — Glue  Mold  Assembled  Ready  to  Receive  Concrete.  75 

Fig.  61  —Plaster  Model  of  Table  Leg 76 

Fig.  62  — First  Operation  in  Making  a  Glue  Mold 77 


PAGE 

Fig.  63— Half  of  Model  Covered  with  Clay 78 

Fig.  64 — Plaster  Case  Being  Cast  on  Model  over  Clay.  ...     79 
Fig.  65 — Model  in  Position  to  have  Upper  Half  Covered 

with    Clay 80 

Fig.  66 — Model  Completely  Covered  with  Clay  and  Plaster 

Case    81 

Fig.  67 — Pouring  the  Glue  Mold 82 

Fig.  68 — Showing  Flexibility  of  Glue  Mold 83 

Fig.  69— Concrete    Table 85 

Fig.  70 — Large    Vase   and    Saucer    with    Design    in    High 

Relief     86 

Fig.  71 — Combination    Glue    and    Wood    Core    for    Vase 

Work    87 

Fig.  72 — Copy  of  an  Antique 89 

Fig-  73 — Vase  with  Elaborate  Color  Design 91 

Fig.  74 — Pompeian    Vase 92 

Fig- 75 — Progressive  Steps  in  Color  Inlay  Work 93 

Fig.  76 — A  Good  Example  of  Colored  Concrete  Work..     97 

Fig.  77 — Small    Articles    of    Concrete 98 

Fig.  78 — Texture  Produced  with  Selected  Aggregates....    ico 

Fig.  79 — Concrete  Urn  in  White  Portland  Cement 102 

Fig.  80 — Flower  Box  with  Antique  Stone  Finish 104 

Figs.  81  and  8ia — Concrete  Flower  Boxes  of  Selected  Ag- 
gregates Inlaid  with  Tile 106-107 

Fig.  82 — Hand  Modeled  Vases  Inlaid  with  Moravian  Tile.,    no 

Fig.  83— Outside  Mold  for  Flower  Pot in 

Fig.  84 — Details  of  Core  Box.' i?2 

Fig.  85 — Mold    Assembled 113 

Fig.  86— Mold  Assembled,  Showing  Core  Box  in  Place..   114 

Fig.  87— Separate   Pieces  of  Mold 115 

Fig.  88 — Method  of  Removing  Solid  Core  from  Cast....   116 

Fig.  89 — Cast  of  Box  after  Removing  from  Mold 117 

Fig.  90 — Cast  of  Box  after  Modeling  is  Complete Ti8 

Fig.  91— Hand   Modeled   Vases 1 19 

Fig.  92 — Vase  of  White  Marble,  Trap  Rock  and  Moravian 

Tile   120 

Fig-  93— Concrete    Pedestal 122 


xii  Illustrations 

Fig.    94 — Dimensions  of  Pedestal 123 

Fig-    95 — Detail  of  Base  Mold 124 

Fig.    96 — Parts  of  Mold  Before  Assembling 125 

Fig.    97 — Detail  of  Cap  Mold 126 

Fig.    98— Detail  of  Main  Part  of  Shaft  Mold 127 

Fig.    99 — Shaft    Mold    Assembled 128 

Fig.  100 — Details  of  Parts  "B"  and  "C"  of  Shaft  Mold 129 

Fig.  101 — Pieces  of  Pedestal  Before  Assembling 130 

Fig.  102 — Assembled   Mold   for   Shaft 131 

Fig.  103— Pedestal  with   Design  in  Relief 133 

Fig.  104— Concrete  Sundial  Pedestal 135 

Fig.  105 — Sundial    Pedestal.' 136 

Fig.  106 — Ornate  Concrete  Pedestal 138 

Fig.  107 — Pedestal   and   Vase 139 

Fig.  108 — Pedestal   and   Vase 140 

Fig.  109 — Vase  and  Pedestal  of  Bold  Design 141 

Fig.  no — A  Good  Design  for  a  Pedestal  and  Vase 142 

Fig.  in — Simple  Design  for  a  Concrete  Garden  Bench...  144 

Fig.  112 — Detail  of  Bench  Pedestal 145 

Fig.  113— Details    of    Mold 146 

Fig.  1 14— An  Ornate  Concrete  Bench 147 

Fig.  115 — Assembled  Mold  for  Bench  Pedestal 149 

Fig.  116 — Mold  Assembled  in  Position  to  Receive  Concrete.  150 

Fig.  117 — Interior  of  Mold  for   Bench   Pedestal 151 

Fig.  1 18— Details  of  Slab  for  Bench  Seat 153 

Fig.  119 — Design  of  Bench  Pedestal  with  Curved  Outline.  .  155 

Fig.  120 — Ornamental   Concrete   Bench 157 

Fig.  121 — Fence    Foundation 158 

Fig.  122 — Wood  Mold  for  Fence  Post 160 

Fig.  123 — Wood  Mold  for  Fence  Cap 161 

Fig.  124 — Lattice  Fence  Panel . .-. 163 

Fig.  125 — Mold  for  Lattice  Fence  Panel 164 

Fig.  126 — Mold  for  Coping 165 

Fig.  127 — Rubble    Panel 167 

Fig.  128— Mold  for  Solid  Wall 169 

Fig.  129 — A  Low  Coping 171 

Fig.  130 — Molds,  Templates,  etc.,   for  Coping 172 


Illustrations 


PAOl 


Fig.  131 — An    English    Garden 1/4 

Fig.  132— Plaster  Mold  for  Baluster 175 

Fig.  133— Plaster  Mold  for  Baluster 176 

Fig.  134— Casting  a   Baluster i/7 

Fig.  135 — Stripping  Mold  from  Baluster 178 

Fig.  136 — Pointing  Up   Baluster 179 

pjg.  ^7 — Progressive  Steps  in  Making  a  Baluster  Mold.  .  180 

Fig.  138— Steel  Frame  for  Fence  Work 184 

Pig  139 — Making  a  Cement  Mortar  Fence 185 

Fig.  140 — Cement  Mortar  Fence 186 


CHAPTER  I. 

2/35)1 
MAKING  WIRE  FRAMES  OR  FORMS 

Few  people  realize  that  anything  of  an  artistic 
nature  can  be  made  from  Portland  cement.  Most 
of  us  are  used  to  looking  upon  this  material  as 
fit  only  for  heavy  work,  such  as  foundations  for 
buildings,  bridge  abutments,  piers,  etc.  It  is  not 
remarkable,  then,  that  the  layman  does  not  know 
that  cement  if  used  properly  can  be  made  to  com- 
pare more  than  favorably  with  ornaments  made 
from  other  and  much  more  expensive  materials; 
for  even  those  who  are  in  the  trade,  and  work- 
ing with  it  every  day,  know  nothing  of  the  won- 
derful and  endless  variety  of  artistic  effects  which 
can  be  produced  with  Portland  cement. 

The  author  for  seven  years  has  followed  the 
Portland-cement  concrete  industry  more  or  less 
closely,  and  for  the  past  two  years  has  devoted 
his  entire  attention  to  it.  Some  time  ago  he 
started  experimenting  with  concrete  pottery,  and 
the  experiments  conducted  along  this  line  have 
developed  some  very  interesting  and  practical  re- 
sults. 

The  method  of  making  cement  pottery  is  sim- 
ple when  understood;  and  if  the  craftsman  fol- 
lows the  directions  as  given  in  the  following 
chapters,  he  will  find  it  easy  to  produce  results 
which  are  fully  worth  while.  Each  step  in  the 
operation  from  the  raw  materials  to  the  finished 
product  will  be  explained  in  detail,  including  the 


2        Concrete  Pottcr\  and  Garden  Furniture 

incorporation  of  color  effects,  water-proofing,, 
various  surface  effects,  etc. 

Portland-cement  mortar  has  peculiar  character- 
istics of  its  own.  It  is  unlike  clay.  Therefore  in 
modeling  it  has  to  be  worked  differently.  In 
modeling  clay  one  can  form  it  into  any  shape,  and 
it  will  remain  there,  for  the  reason  that  it  is  more 
or  less  sticky,  and  the  various  particles  of  which 
it  is  made  up  cling  or  adhere  to  one  another,  and 
thus  hold  the  entire  mass  together.  Portland- 
cement  mortar,  of  which  cement  pottery  is  made, 
is  composed  of  a  mixture  of  sand  or  marble  dust 
and  pure  Portland  cement  mixed  together  in  vari- 
ous proportions.  This  mixture  is  wet  down  with 
water,  and  then  by  turning  over  and  troweling, 
is  made  into  a  plastic  mass  called  cement  mortar. 
It  is  next  to  impossible  to  model  in  this  material, 
for  the  reason  that  unless  it  is  placed  in  a  mold  or 
a  form  is  used  to  hold  it  in  shape,  while  in  its 
plastic  state,  it  will  fall  down.  The  first  step  then 
in  cement  pottery  work  is  to  make  the  form. 

There  are  several  methods  of  making  forms. 
One  is  to  make  wire  frames  on  which  to  build  up 
the  cement  mortar,  and  another  is  to  make 
wooden  or  plaster  molds.  In  the  latter  method 
the  cement  is  handled  in  an  entirely  different  man- 
ner from  that  used  for  the  former.  The  use  of 
wire  forms  is  the  simpler  when  there  are  but  one 
or  two  of  the  same  shape  of  articles  to  be  made. 
When  a  quantity  of  one  kind  is  to  be  made  it 
pays  well  to  spend  some  time  in  making  a  wooden 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture        3 

or  plaster  piece  mold,  as  it  can  be  used  over  and 
over  again,  whereas  when  wire  forms  are  used  a 
new  form  has  to  be  made  for  each  article, 
whether  of  the  same  shape  or  not. 

The  best  material  for  making  wire  forms  is 
No.  20  Clinton  wire  lath  having  about  a  half-inch 
mesh.  This  can  be  procured  at  almost  any  hard- 
ware store.  When  buying  it  ask  for  galvanized 
wire  lath,  as  this  is  better  and  easier  to  work  with 
than  the  ungalvanized.  If  not  familiar  with  this 


Fig.  1  —Round  and  Square  Frames  for  a  Piece  of 
Concrete  Pottery 


material  the  accompanying  illustrations  will  give 
a  good  idea  of  what  is  to  be  used.  The  only  tool 
necessary  is  a  good  strong  pai-r  of  tinners'  shears 
for  cutting  the  wire,  or  better  still,  a  combination 
wire  cutter  and  nippers,  as  this  will  answer  for 
two  purposes.  In  the  accompanying  half-tone 
illustration,  Fig.  I,  are  shown  two  complete 
frames,  one  for  a  square  and  the  other  for  a 


4        Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

round  piece  of  pottery.  The  latter  form  is  com- 
posed of  a  round  piece  for  the  bottom  and  a  long 
narrow  piece  for  the  sides.  (See  Fig.  3.) 

To  make  a  wire  form  5  inches  in  diameter  by  4 
inches  high:  First  cut  a  piece  of  the  wire  lath 
large  enough  on  which  to  lay  out  a  5-inch  circle. 
Hammer  it  out  until  it  is  perfectly  flat,  and  then 
place  the  point  of  the  dividers  in  the  intersection 
of  the  wires  near  the  middle  of  the  piece.  Set 


Fig.  2 — Flower  Vases  of  Concrete 

the  dividers  to  a  2^<-inch  radius,  and  scribe  the 
circle.  A  piece  of  red  or  black  chalk  is  best  for 
this  purpose,  as  it  will  make  more  distinct  marks. 
Now  take  the  wire  cutters  and  cut  the  wire  di- 
rectly at  the  marks,  and  you  will  have  the  bottom 
of  the  frame  complete. 

The  diameter  of  the  bottom  being  5  inches,  the 
piece  necessary  for  the  sides  of  the  frame  will 
have  to  be  three  times  this  length,  or  15  inches. 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 
*  » 


6        Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

Make  it  17  inches  long,  thus  allowing  i  inch  for 
lap,  and  l/2  inch  of  surplus  wire  on  each  end,  as 
indicated  at  a — a.  The  height  of  the  finished 
form  is  to  be  four  inches.  Cut  the  wire  lath  to 
4>4  inches,  leaving  a  series  of  wire  strands  half 


Fig.  4— Bending  Side  Piece  into  Circular  Form 

an  inch  long  at  the  bottom  as  indicated.  Now 
take  this  piece  which  has  been  prepared  for  the 
sides  and  coax  it  into  a  circle  by  placing  a  straight 
edge  (a  piece  of  wood  or  metal  having  straight 
edges)  successively  along  each  of  the  meshes  and 
pulling  up  on  the  free  end  of  the  wire  lath  as 
indicated  in  Fig.  4.  After  the  piece  is  fairly  well 
formed,  lap  the  ends  over,  thus  forming  the  cir- 
cle, and  secure  them  firmly  to  the  main  body  of 
the  sides  by  turning  the  free  ends  of  the  wire 
around  the  strands  of  the  wire  mesh,  using  the 
nippers  to  clinch  them  tightly.  After  having  com- 
pleted the  side  the  bottom  is  placed  in  position, 
and  the  half-inch  lengths  of  wire  left  at  the  bot- 
tom of  the  sides  are  used  to  wrap  around  the 


Concrete  Pottcr\  and  Garden  Furniture         7 

bottom  and  secure  it  in  place.  It  is  not  essential 
to  have  this  frame  absolutely  round  or  true,  as  it 
is  used  merely  as  a  surface  on  which  to  build  up 
the  cement.  The  cement  when  once  in  place  can 
be  trued  up  by  methods  which  will  be  explained 
in  the  next  chapter.  The  square  frame  which  is 
also  illustrated  is  made  in  a  similar  manner.  Care 


Fig.  5 — Concrete  Fldwer  Box — Executed  by  the 
Erkins  Studios 


must  be  taken,  however,  to  get  the  corner  lines 
perpendicular  to  the  base,  for  if  this  is  not  done 
it  will  cause  trouble  later  on  when  truing  up  the 
sides. 

In  cutting  the  wire  lath  for  the  sides  of  the 
rectangular  frame,  as  indicated  in  Fig.  6,  do  not 
forget  to  make  it  at  least  two  inches  longer  than 


8        Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 


jj 

y 


Concrete  Pottcr\  and  Garden  Furniture         9 

the  sum  total  of  the  four  sides.  This  will  allow 
plenty  for  the  lap  and  for  the  wire  strands  which 
are  to  be  used  for  securing  the  ends  in  place.  Of 
course,  one  need  not  confine  himself  to  round  and 
square  forms,  as  innumerable  sizes  and  shapes  of 
frames  can  be  made  up,  such  as  octagons,  hexa- 
gons, etc.,  as  well  as  forms  for  vases  with  grace- 
fully curved  outlines,  as  shown  in  the  accompany- 
ing illustrations. 

The  next  chapter  will  treat  of  the  method  of 
applying  the  cement  mortar  and  the  forming  of 
the  finished  pottery. 


CHAPTER   II. 

COVERING  THE  WIRE  FRAMES  AND  MODELING  THE 
CEMENT  INTO  FORMS 

The  next  step  is  the  covering  of  the  forms  with 
the  cement  mortar.  The  first  operation  is  the 
application  of  a  roughing  or  scratch  coat.  The 
mortar  for  the  scratch  coat  should  be  made  of 
one  part  Portland  cement  and  two  parts  of  fairly 
fine,  clean  sand.  This  is  known  as  a  i-to-2  mix- 
ture. The  cement  and  sand  should  be  thoroughly 
mixed  together  while  dry,  and  to  this  mixture  be- 
fore wetting  should  be  added  enough  plasterer's 
hair  to  bind  the  particles  together.  Goat's  hair 
is  the  best  to  use.  It  can  be  procured  at  almost 
any  plasterer's  or  mason  supply  dealer's.  It 
comes  in  matted  bunches,  which  should  be  picked 
apart  and  the  hair  separated  before  adding  to 
the  cement  and  sand.  The  whole  should  then  be 
wet  down  with  water  and  thoroughly  mixed.  Be 
careful  not  to  get  the  mixture  too  wet,  for  if  so 
it  will  not  hang  to  the  forms.  The  proper  con- 
sistency is  that  of  a  stiff  paste.  Probably  the  best 
tool  to  apply  this  mortar  to  small  work  is  an 
ordinary  table  knife;  for  large  work  a  regular 
mason's  trowel  or  float  may  be  used.  Take  as 
much  of  the  mortar  as  can  conveniently  be  han- 
dled on  the  end  of  the  knife,  and  commencing  at 
the  bottom  of  the  sides  of  the  frame,  force  the 
mortar  well  in  between  the  meshes  of  the  form. 
Continue  this  operation  until  the  entire  sides  of 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture       1 1 

the  frame  are  covered.  Then  turn  the  frame 
bottom  side  up,  and  cover  the  bottom  in  like  man- 
ner. The  rougher  the  surface,  the  better.  Do 
not  do  anything  to  the  inside  of  the  frame  as  yet. 
After  having  completely  covered  the  frame  as 
described  above,  let  the  mortar  set  or  harden,  so 
that  it  will  be  securely  cemented  to  the  wire  frame. 
In  about  four  or  five  hours  the  mortar  will  have 
hardened  sufficiently,  so  that  the  form  can  again 
be  handled  with  safety. 

The  finishing  coat  can  then  be  applied.  The 
mortar  for  the  finishing  coat  can  be  made  of  a 
number  of  different  ingredients,  all  of  which  will 
produce  a  different  result  as  far  as  texture  and 
color  are  concerned.  The  method  of  applying 
the  finish  coat,  however,  is  the  same  in  all  cases. 
Therefore  to  start  with,  we  will  make  the  mortar 
to  be  used  for  the  finish  coat  of  the  following  mix- 
ture: i  part  of  Portland  cement  and  2  parts  ot 
marble  dust.  This  mixture  will  produce  a  fairly 
light  surface  when  dried  out,  and  one  which  is 
full  of  sparkle.  It  should  be  mixed  to  the  consis- 
tency of  a  heavy  paste  as  before.  The  method  of 
applying  the  finish  coat  and  forming  the  jar  to  the 
desired  shape  is  as  follows: 

First  cut  a  piece  of  wood,  say  l/2  inch  thick,  into 
a  circle  having  a  diameter  about  ^  or  ^  inch 
larger  than  the  greatest  diameter  of  the  rough 
coat,  which  is  already  placed  in  the  wire  form. 
Now  with  a  pair  of  dividers  find  the  approximate 
center  of  the  bottom  of  the  rough-surfaced  con-. 


12 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 


crete  frame,  and  put  a  small  hole  through  the 
mortar  at  this  point  as  well  as  at  another  point 
near  the  circumference.  Take  the  circular  piece 
of  wood  and  drive  a  nail  through  its  center,  and 
in  turn  place  this  nail  in  the  hole  already  made 
in  the  center  of  the  bottom  of  the  rough-covered 
form.  Now  turn  the  jar  over,  letting  it  rest  on 
the  circular  piece  of  wood,  as  shown  in  Fig.  7,  and 
you  will  note  that  the  wood  projects  from  3  7i6 


Fig.  7—  Method  of  Attaching  Rough-Coated  Jar  to 
Circular  Wood  Form 

to  y^  of  ari  inch  all  around  the  rough  coat.  The 
finish  coat  must  be  built  out  as  far  as  this.  Be- 
fore going  further  drive  a  nail  or  tack  lightly 
into  the  wood  through  the  hole  which  was  made 
in  the  bottom  of  the  jar  near  its  circumference, 
as  indicated  at  a,  Fig.  7.  This  will  hold  the  jar 
to  the  circular  wood  form,  so  that  it  will  turn 
with  it.  As  shown  in  the  illustration,  the  head  of 
the  nail  in  the  center  of  the  circular  piece  of  wood 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture       13 

should  project  beyond  the  bottom,  and  a  niche 
should  be  cut  in  the  working  board  for  it  to  fit  in. 
The  head  of  the  nail  will  then  act  as  an  axis 
around  which  the  wood  and  jar  can  be  revolved. 

The  next  step  is  to  make  a  template  or  form- 
ing strip  for  the  outside  of  the  jar.  In  this  case 
the  jar  has  perfectly  straight  sides,  therefore  all 
that  is  necessary  is  a  straight  piece  of  wood.  It 
should  be  made  one  inch  or  more  longer  than  the 


i. 


Fig.  8 — Former  or  Template  for  Truing 
Outside  of  Jars 

distance  from  the  working  board  to  the  top  of  the 
finished  jar,  and  should  be  mounted  on  a  frame, 
as  shown  in  the  illustration,  Fig.  8,  so  that  it  will 
be  perpendicular  at  all  times.  The  cutting  edge 
of  the  forming  strip  should  be  beveled  off  as 
shown.  After  making  this,  all  of  the  tools  neces- 
sary for  the  forming  of  the  jar  are  complete,  and 
the  putting  on  of  the  finishing  coat  can  be  com- 
menced. 

This  is  done  as  follows:    First  rough  up  and 


14       Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

scratch  with  a  sharp  tool,  such  as  the  teeth  of  a 
saw  blade,  the  rough-coated  jar,  and  then  thor- 
oughly wash  off  with  a  brush  and  water  any  loose 
particles  of  cement  that  may  be  present.  Then, 
as  was  done  in  placing  the  roughing  coat,  take  as 
much  of  the  already  prepared  finishing  coat  as 
can  be  held  on  the  end  of  a  knife  blade,  and  com- 
mencing at  the  bottom  of  the  jar  build  out  to  the 
edge  of  the  circular  piece  of  wood  which  acts  as 
a  guide  for  the  forming  template. 

Cover  the  whole  surface  with  the  finishing 
coat,  gradually  building  it  out  to  the  required 
thickness.  Now  hold  the  template  firmly  against 
the  circular  guide,  and  at  the  same  time  revolve 
the  jar.  By  so  doing,  all  surplus  cement  will  be 
cut  or  scraped  off  by  the  edge  of  the  upright  tem- 
plate, thus  giving  a  perfectly  smooth  and  true  sur- 
face to  the  jar.  After  this  operation  it  will  be 
found  that  the  top  of  the  sides  of  the  jar  are  left 
in  rather  a  crude,  rough  state.  To  even  these  up 
and  to  obtain  uniform  height,  nail  a  piece  of 
wood,  as  indicated  by  the  dotted  lines  at  a  in  Fig. 
8,  to  the  upright  template,  and  at  the  proper  ele- 
vation to  scrape  the  top  of  the  sides  to  the  desired 
level. 

Again  place  the  template  in  position  against  the 
edge  of  the  circular  wood  guide  at  the  bottom  of 
the  jar,  and  start  revolving  the  piece.  The  pro- 
jecting piece  of  wood  a,  which  has  been  attached 
to  the  upright  template,  will  strike  the  high  spots 
and  cut  them  off.  Thin  down  with  water  the 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture       15 

mortar  used  for  the  finishing  coat  until  it  is  a 
little  more  of  a  paste  than  was  used  for  the  sides, 
and  fill  in  the  low  spots  on  top  of  the  jar.  Keep 
revolving  the  jar  and  adding  mortar  until  a  per- 
fectly smooth,  even  surface  is  obtained. 

In  finishing  the  inside,  the  rough  surface  should 


Fig.  9— A  Good  Design  for  a  Plaster 
Mould — By  Emerson  &  Morris  Co. 

be  scratched  and  washed  as  was  the  outside  sur- 
face before  starting  to  lay  on  the  finish  coat.  Hav- 
ing the  outside  surface  as  a  guide,  it  is  an  easy 
matter  to  true  up  the  inside  without  any  further 
tools  than  a  thin  straight  edge  or  a  long  table 
knife.  But  if  one  feels  that  he  cannot  make  a 
true  enough  surface,  another  strip  of  wood,  as 
shown  at  b,  Fig.  8,  can  be  attached  to  piece  a, 


1 6       Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

which  has  already  been  secured  to  the  upright 
template,  in  which  case  the  distance  c  should  be 
the  same  as  the  desired  thickness  of  the  finished 
walls  of  the  jar,  and  the  distance  d  should  be  the 
same  as  the  desired  inside  depth.  Then  by  plac- 
ing the  template  or  forming  tool  as  shown  in  Fig. 
10  and  revolving  the  jar,  a  true  surface  will  be 
obtained.  It  will  be  found  that  the  lower  end  of 
the  strip  b  while  revolving  in  the  jar  has  formed 


Fig.  10— The  Former  Arranged  for  Truing  the  Inner  Face 
of  the  Side  Wall 

-a  ring  at  the  bottom  of  the  jar,  from  the  surplus 
cement  mortar  which  has  fallen  from  the  sides. 
This  ring  acts  as  an  excellent  guide  for  truing 
up  the  inner  surface  of  the  bottom.  If  there  is 
not  enough  surplus  cement  in  the  bottom  of  the 
jar  to  true  up  the  center  portion  of  it,  add  a  little 
more  and  tamp  or  tap  it  down  until  it  appears 
about  even  with  the  ring  around  the  sides.  Then 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture       17 

take  a  piece  of  wood  with  a  straight  edge  and  a 
trifle  smaller  than  the  inside  of  the  jar.  Let  this 
rest  on  the  ring  at  the  bottom,  as  indicated  in 
Fig.  n.  Hold  the  template  stationary,  and  re- 
volve the  jar.  With  a  little  coaxing  and  by  filling 
up  the  low  spots  as  they  appear,  with  a  thin  mor- 
tar, a  perfectly  smooth  surface  will  be  obtained. 
Having  completed  the  inner  face  of  the  bottom, 


Fig.  11— Truing  the  Inner  Face  of  the  Bottom  Wall 

turn  the  jar  over  and  let  it  rest  on  its  top.  Re- 
move the  round  wood  guide  which  is  secured  to 
the  bottom  by  nails,  and  then  scratch  the  ce- 
ment surface  which  is  now  exposed  and  wet  it 
down.  Now  add  or  lay  on  the  finishing  coat,  and 
true  it  off  by  means  of  the  same  template  and 
former  as  was  used  for  finishing  the  top  edge, 
only  adjust  the  strip  a  so  that  it  will  allow  of  the 
desired  thickness  of  finish  to  be  given  to  the  bot- 
tom of  the  jar. 


1 8       Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

Now,  as  far  as  the  finish  and  form  of  the  jar 
are  concerned,  it  is  complete.  Having  gone 
through  the  'operations  necessary  for  the  comple- 
tion of  a  round  jar,  it  will  be  easy  to  build  up  a 
square  or  oblong  piece,  as  the  operation  is  prac- 
tically the  same,  the  only  difference  being  in  the 
forming  and  finishing.  Here  instead  of  using  a 
round  wood  guide  or  form  and  revolving  the 
piece,  a  square  or  oblong  guide,  as  the  case  may 
be,  is  used  and  the  template  or  former  is  held 
against  it  and  moved  along,  thus  cutting  off  the 
surplus  cement  mortar  and  giving  a  smooth  sur- 
face to  the  sides. 


CHAPTER  III. 

PLASTER   MOLDS    FOR    SIMPLE    FORMS 

The  last  two  chapters  described  the  method  of 
making  individual  pieces  by  means  of  modeling  or 
building  up  on  wire  frames.  This  is  perhaps  the 
quickest  and  easiest  way  when  there  are  but  few 
pieces  of  a  kind  to  be  made;  but  when  a  number 
of  duplicate  pieces  of  one  design  are  "required,  it 
is  too  slow  a  method  to  be  used  for  commercial 
purposes.  Therefore,  when  a  number  of  dupli- 
cate pieces  are  wanted,  it  is  best  to  make  up  a 
regular  mold  into  which  the  concrete  or  Portland 
cement  mortar  is  poured  in  a  liquid  or  almost 
liquid  state.  These  molds  are  usually  made  of 
plaster  of  Paris.  The  method  of  making  them  of 
course  differs  according  to  the  design  of  the  piece 
to  be  cast,  but  when  one  has  mastered  the  method 
of  making  one  or  two  designs,  it  is  easy  to  make 
others,  for  the  reason  that  the  general  principles 
are  the  same  throughout. 

In  all  mold  work  the'  first  thing  required  is  a 
pattern  or  model  of  the  piece  which  is  to  be  pro- 
duced. If  the  design  is  an  original  one,  having 
relief  work,  and  is  to  be  reproduced  from  a  draw- 
ing, the  first  thing  to  be  done  is  to  model  it  in 
clay,  and  from  this  clay  model  the  plaster  mold 
is  cast. 

If  the  design  is  simply  that  of  a  square  or  round 
box  devoid  of  all  ornamentation  or  relief  work, 


23       Concrete  Pottcrv  and  Garden  Furniture 


the  model  can  be  made  of  wood  or  any  other  ma- 
terial. In  many  instances,  it  is  desired  to  repro- 
duce articles  of  a  more  or  less  ornate  design, 
which  one  has  already  in  hand  or  which  one  can 
procure,  such  as  metal  or  china  ornaments,  vases, 
jardinieres,  etc.  In  this  case,  the  mold  can  be 


CROSS  SECT/O/V  THROUGH 
BOK  SHOWING  TAFfR  TO  1MS/D£ 

Fig.  12— The  Wooden  Model  of  Square  Box 

made  directly  from  the  piece  which  it  is  desired  to 
reproduce. 

A  plaster  mold  of  a  simple  piece,  such  as  a 
square  pot,  can  be  made  according  to  the  follow- 
ing directions:  The  model  for  this  can  be  made 
of  wood.  The  dimensions  indicated  in  Fig.  12  are 
used  merely  as  an  example;  any  other  dimensions 
can  be  used,  as  the  piece  can  be  made  as  large  or 
as  small  as  desired,  or  it  may  be  made  oblong. 
When  the  wood  model  is  put  together,  it  should 
be  well  shellacked  and  oiled.  Use  fairly  heavy 
oil  or  vaseline.  This  is  done  to  prevent  the  plas- 
ter from  sticking.  Now  place  the  model  on  the 
working  board,  which  should  also  be  oiled,  and 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture       2 1 

then  take  two  pieces  of  modeler's  clay  and  place 
them  on  the  model  at  opposite  corners,  as  indi- 


Fig.  13— Window  Boxes— By  J.   C.   Kraus 

cated  at  A  and  B  in  Fig.  14.   If  modeler's  clay  is 
not  handy  or  easily  obtainable,  you  can  make  two 


22       Concrete  Pottcrv  and  Garden  Furniture 

strips  of  wood  shaped  as  indicated  at  C,  and 
lightly  tack  these  in  position  on  the  corners  in 
place  of  the  clay.  Shellac  and  oil  the  faces  of 
these  strips.  The  box  is  now  ready  to  receive  the 


Fig.  14 — Showing  the  Clay  Placed  at  Corners  of  Model  and 
Plaster  Applied 

plaster,  which  should  be  mixed  as  follows :  Enam- 
eled tin  or  iron  ware  makes  the  best  thing  to  mix 
plaster  in,  as  it  is  easily  cleaned.  Place  a  handful 
of  plaster  in  your  tin,  and  add  plenty  of  water  to 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture       23 

it;  mix  it  up  until  it  is  of  the  consistency  of  a  thin 
paste.  Dip  your  hand  into  this  and  scoop  the  plas- 
ter up  and  throw  it  on  the  sides  of  the  model. 
Cover  the  sides  completely,  and  keep  adding 
plaster  until  the  sides  of  the  model  are  covered 
with  at  least  -)4  inch  of  plaster;  if  thicker,  no 
harm  will  be  done.  This  operation  will  have  to 
"be  done  quickly,  for  if  not  the  plaster  will  set  or 
"become  hard  in  the  tin  before  you  can  use  all  of 
it.  When  it  has  once  set  before  it  is  used,  it  has 
to  be  thrown  out  and  another  mix  made. 

The  piece  will  now  appear  as  indicated  in  the 
plan  view,  Fig.  14.  Let  the  plaster  which  has  been 
deposited  on  the  sides  I  and  2  set  for  about  10 
or  15  minutes,  and  then  remove  the  strips  A  and 
B.  Cut  holes  about  l/4  of  an  inch  deep  into  the 
plaster  on  the  surfaces  formed  by  the  strips  A 
and  B.  These  are  called  joggle  holes,  and  are 
provided  so  that  the  plaster  mold  when  finished 
will  fit  together  properly.  Shellac  and  oil  the 
faces  of  the  plaster  as  well  as  the  sides  3  and  4 
of  the  wood  model,  and  proceed  to  deposit  the 
plaster  on  these  as  was  done  on  the  sides  I  and  2. 
Care  must  be  taken  in  all  of  the  above  operations 
not  to  move  the  model  from  its  original  position 
on  the  working  board.  The  model  and  plaster 
sides  should  now  look  as  shown  in  Fig.  15.  Be- 
fore removing  the  plaster  sides  level  them  off  to 
the  height  of  the  model.  Now  lift  the  whole  up 
from  the  working  board.  If  care  has  been  taken 
in  oiling  all  sides  of  the  model,  a  slight  jar  will 


24     Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

loosen  the  plaster  from  it.  Then  pull  apart,  as 
indicated  by  the  arrows,  the  two  plaster  sides  of 
the  mold. 

Lay  these  aside,  and  then  proceed  to  make  the 
core  or  the  part  of  the  mold  which  forms  the  hole 
or  the  inner  sides  of  the  box.  This  is  made  a& 


•  JOWL  £  HOLES  -    «*si      (^3^  JQ&&L  ES  — 

Fig.  15— Plan  View  of  Model,  also  Two  Halves  of  Mold, 
Showing  Joggles 

follows :  It  will  be  noticed  that  in  the  wood  model 
of  the  box,  which  is  shown  in  Fig.  12,  a  slight 
taper  is  given  to  the  inside.  This  taper  is  pro- 
vided so  that  the  core  will  draw  out  more  freely 
than  if  the  sides  were  perfectly  straight.  Place 
your  model  on  the  working  board.  Shellac  and 
grease  well  the  inside  of  the  box,  and  then  mix 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture       25 

the  plaster  as  before,  and  pour  it  into  the  inside 
of  the  box.  Level  the  top,  and  let  the  plaster  set 
for  10  or  15  minutes.  Now  turn  the  box  upside 
down  and  tap  it  gently.  This  will  loosen  the 
plaster  core,  and  it  will  fall  out.  If  the  core 
should  for  any  reason  stick  to  the  sides,  the  wood 
model  should  be  opened  a  little,  so  that  the  core 


Fig.  16— Concrete  Flower  Box — Embelished  with  the  "Bacchic 
Dance"— Executed  by  L'Ibal  &  Co. 

can  be  taken  out  without  injuring  it.  The  core 
will  then  be  in  one  piece,  as  indicated  in  Fig.  17. 
It  should  now  be  smoothed  up  nicely,  and  all  cor- 
ners and  edges  should  be  made  round.  Where  a 
marked  taper  has  been  given  to  the  core,  it  might 
be,  if  well  oiled,  used  solid  in  the  mold  when  cast- 
ing the  cement. 

It   is    far   better,    however,    to   make   what   is 


26       Concrete  Pottcr\  and  Garden  Furniture 

known  as  a  piece  core,  as  this  can  be  removed 
more  readily,  and  is  less  liable  to  break  the  ce- 
ment on  removing  than  is  the  solid  core.  To 
make  a  piece  core,  cut  the  solid  core  shown  in 


HOLE  FOR  SCREW  EYE 


Fig.  17 — Details  of  the  Piece  Core 

Fig.  17  into  four  parts  as  indicated  at  A  in  Fig. 
17.  This  can  be  done  with  an  ordinary  wood 
saw.  If  the  saw  binds  or  sticks,  a  little  water 
applied  to  the  blade  will  obviate  the  trouble. 
Mark  the  pieces  thus  cut  i,  2,  3,  4,  as  indicated, 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture       27 

care  being  taken  to  get  the  proper  numbers  on  the 
right  pieces,  as  this  is  the  rotation  in  which  they 
are  to  be  removed  from  the  cast.  Piece  number 
i,  which  is  a  decided  wedge  in  shape,  should  be 
taken  out  first,  and  it  is  well  to  provide  in  the  top 
of  this  piece,  as  well  as  in  the  other  pieces,  a 
straight  round  hole  in  which  a  screw  eye  of  suit- 
able size  can  be  screwed.  By  passing  a  piece  of 
wood  through  the  eye  of  the  screw,  the  piece  can 
be  easily  pulled  out  from  the  mold. 

After  having  cut  the  core  and  fitted  it  together 
nicely,  as  shown  in  Fig.  17,  put  it  back  into  the 
wood  model.  If  necessary,  tie  a  string  around  the 
pieces  to  hold  them  in  place.  Also  before  put- 
ting the  core  into  the  model,  place  in  the  bottom 
of  the  model  a  thin  strip  of  wood;  about  ^  of  an 
inch  thick  will  be  thick  enough.  This  will  allow 
the  core  to  project  ^  of  an  inch  above  the  sides 
of  the  model,  as  shown  in  Fig.  18.  Taper  this  ^$- 
inch  projection  of  the  core  as  shown,  and  then 
place  in  position,  on  the  outside  of  the  model, 
the  outside  plaster  molds  which  have  already  been 
made.  Tie  a  string  around  these  to  hold  them 
firmly  in  position. 

Now  secure  by  means  of  brads,  or  fresh  plaster, 
strips  of  ^2-inch  wood  around  the  outside  mold, 
as  indicated,  about  *4  °f  an  inch  from  the  top. 
Taper  the  edges  of  the  plaster  mold  from  the 
point  where  the  wood  is  attached  to  the  top  as 
indicated.  This  can  readily  be  done  by  cutting  the 
plaster  with  a  knife. 


28       Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

Joggles  or  holes  should  be  made  in  the  top  of 
the  outside  plaster  mold,  as  well  as  in  the  top  of 
the  pieces  of  the  core  as  indicated.  These  will 
help  greatly  in  holding  together  as  well  as  in  as- 
sembling the  various  pieces  of  the  mold.  Now 
secure  to  the  strips  by  means  of  tacks  a  j^-inch 


Fig.  18— Parts  Assembled  for  Casting  the  Plaster  Case, 
also  Section  of  the  Plaster  Case 


strip  of  heavy  cardboard  around  the  entire  out- 
side mold.  Shellac  and  oil  well  the  entire  inside 
of  the  inclosure  thus  made.  Now  mix  your  plas- 
ter as  before,  and  pour  it  over  the  top  of  the 
core,  the  model,  and  the  top  of  the  outside  plaster 
mold.  The  cardboard  sides  and  wood  strips  al- 
ready attached  will  prevent  the  plaster  from  run- 
ning down  the  sides.  Smooth  the  plaster  off  level 
with  the  top  of  the  cardboard,  and  let  it  set  or 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture       29 

harden.  When  hard  turn  the  whole  upside  down, 
and  by  gently  jarring,  the  piece  just  cast  will 
come  oft  freely.  This  piece  is  called  the  case.  It 
will  have  the  form  shown  in  section  in  Fig.  18, 
and  is  used  as  shown  in  Fig.  19,  for  setting  up 


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SIDES  OF 

PL  ASTER  MOLD 


CORD  TIES 


Fig.  19— Plaster  Mold  Set  Up  for  Casting  Cement 

the  core  and  outside  plaster  mold  in  which  to  cast 
the  cement  box.  In  fact,  it  forms  part  of  the 
mold. 

Before  casting  the  cement  box  it  will  be  well 
again  to  shellac  and  oil  all  parts  of  the  plaster 
mold  which  will  come  in  contact  with  the  cement. 


30       Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

Then  set  up  the  mold  as  shown  in  Fig.  19,  care 
being  taken  to  bind  the  outside  form  firmly  to-- 
gether  by  means  of  string.  The  mold  is  now 
ready  to  receive  the  cement  mixture,  which  should 
be  made  as  follows:  Take  i  part  of  Portland 
cement  and  2  parts  of  marble  dust,  if  a  fairly 
light  color  is  desired;  if  not,  2  parts  of  any  good 
clean  fine  sand  will  do.  Mix  these  thoroughly 
together  while  dry,  and  then  add  enough  water 
to  allow  the  whole  to  be  mixed  to  the  consistency 
of  a  heavy  cream.  Let  it  be  thin  enough  so  that 
it  will  pour  freely.  Pour  this  mixture  in  the 
openings  a,  b,  c,  d,  between  the  outer  plaster  mold 
and  the  core,  until  the  mixture  is  flush  with  the 
bottom  of  the  core.  Lift  the  mold  and  gently  jar 
it.  This  will  tend  to  settle  the  cement,  and  will 
also  force  out  any  air  that  may  be  in  the  mold, 
and  thus  avoid  the  trouble  of  air  bubbles  or  voids 
in  the  finished  cast.  The  cement  already  de- 
posited in  the  sides  will  settle,  more  or  less,  under 
this  treatment.  Now  fill  the  remaining  portion 
of  the  mold  flush  with  the  top  of  the  outside  plas- 
ter sides  and  jar  the  mold  again.  Repeat  this 
operation  until  the  cement  will  settle  no  more. 
Wipe  off  the  top  of  the  mold  with  a  straight  edge 
thus  removing  any  surplus  cement,  and  giving  to 
the  bottom  of  the  box  a  good  even  surface.  Then 
place  the  mold  in  a  level  position,  and  allow  it 
to  stay  there  without  moving  for  from  24  hours 
to  48  hours,  the  longer  the  better,  as  the  longer 
it  is  allowed  to  remain,  the  harder  the  cement 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture       31 

will  set.  After  having  set  for  the  above-men- 
tioned time,  the  piece  can  be  removed  from  the 
mold.  The  method  of  doing  this  is  as  follows: 
Turn  the  mold  over  into  the  position  shown  in 


Fig.  20 — Large  Concrete  Jar  with  Lime  Stone  Finish — 
Executed  by  Emerson  &  Norris  Co. 

Fig.  1 8 ;  tap  the  case  A  around  its  edges ;  this  will 
loosen  the  case,  which  is  then  removed.  Now 
take  the  screw  eye  and  insert  it  in  the  hole  in  the 
piece  i  of  the  core.  Pull  this  out,  and  then  repeat 
the  operation  in  pieces  2,  3,  and  4  of  the  core. 


32       Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

Cut  the  string  which  binds  the  sides  together,  and 
then  pull  them  off  in  the  direction  indicated  by 
the  arrows  in  Fig.  15. 

If  care  has  been  taken  throughout  all  of  the 
above  operations,  the  result  will  be  a  perfect  cast. 
The  next  step  is  the  curing  of  the  box.  This  is 
a  simple  operation.  All  that  is  necessary  is  to 
soak  it  well  with  water.  This  can  be  done  by 
placing  the  cast  directly  in  water,  and  letting  it 
stay  there  for  one  or  two  days,  or  it  can  be 
sprinkled  or  dashed  with  water  three  or  four 
times  a  day  for  two  or  three  days  in  succession  or 
longer;  the  longer  the  process  is  kept  up,  the  bet- 
ter the  result.  By  the  application  of  plenty  of 
water,  the  product  produced  will  become  as  hard 
or  harder  than  stone. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

PLASTER    MOLDS     FOR    OBJECTS    HAVING    CURYKH 
OUTLINES 

The  method  of  making  plaster  molds  for  cir- 
cular objects  is  somewhat  similar  to  that  described 
for  making  square  or  oblong  molds  in  the  last 
chapter.  Instead  of  making  the  outer  mold  in  two 
pieces,  however,  as  described  for  square  work,  it  is 
always  better  to  make  three  pieces,  as  illustrated 
in  Fig.  21,  for  the  reason  that  in  making  three 
pieces  the  liability  of  having  an  undercut  or 


Fig.  21 — Correct  and  Incorrect  Methods  of 
Dividing  the  Outside  Mold 

hang  on  one  of  the  halves  of  the  mold  is  entirely 
obviated.  When  two  pieces  only  are  made,  un- 
less the  mold  is  cut  or  parted  exactly  in  the  mid- 
dle there  will  be  an  undercut  on  one  piece  of  the 
mold,  which  would  prevent  the  mold  from  freeing 
itself  from  the  finished  cast.  By  referring  to  the 
dotted  lines  in  Fig.  21,  the  meaning  of  an  under- 
cut will  be  made  clear.  The  distance  a  is  less 


34       Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

than  distance  b,  and  so  the  part  c  cannot  be  re- 
moved. The  method  of  making  this  outer  mold 
is  the  same  as  was  used  for  making  the  outer 
mold  for  the  square  form,  excepting  that  as 
above  stated  there  are  three  pieces  instead  of  two 
to  be  made. 

The    position   of  the   modeler's    clay   and   the 


Fig.  22— Successive  Steps  in  Making  the  Outside  Mold 

various  steps  in  the  construction  of  the  outer  mold 
are  clearly  shown  in  Fig.  22.  Shellac  and  oil  the 
edges  of  each  section  before  casting  the  next.  The 
sides  of  the  concrete  or  cement  cast,  if  the  object 
is  of  any  size  at  all,  should  be  at  least  one-half 
inch  thick,  and  therefore  the  core,  which  is  to  be 
composed  of  four  pieces,  as  shown  in  Fig.  23  at 
A,  B,  C,  D,  should  always  be  at  least  one  inch 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 


35 


smaller  in  diameter  than  the  inside  diameter  of 
the  outside  mold.     The  first  step  toward  making 


Sr/NOL?  O/V  WHICH 
CffXf  /tf  T</RN£0 


Fig.  23— The  Core  Made  in  Four  Pieces 

the  core  is  to  secure  a  bcx  and  fit  it  up  as  indicated 
in  Fig.  25.  The  tapered  center  of  the  core  D, 
shown  in  Figs.  23  and  26,  should  be  made  first. 


Fig.  24— Grecian  Water  Jar — Executed  by 
the  Erkins  Studios 

The  foundation  for  this  can  be  made  by  winding 
around  the  spindle  in  the  box  shown  in  Fig.  25 


36       Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

cheese  cloth  or  mosquito  netting  which  has  prev- 
iously been  dipped  in  a  thin  "mixture"  of  plaster 
of  Paris.  After  having  prepared  the  spindle  as 


NOTCH  TO  PREVENT 
END.PLAY 


1 


Fig.  25— Box  for  Turning  Plaster 


above,  a  template  should  be  cut  from  a  piece  of 
tin  and  secured  to  the  box  as  shown  in  the  plan 
view,  Fig.  26.  The  tin  template  should  be  mount- 

n 


Fig.  26  — A  err.plate  for  Inner  Part  of  Core 

ed  on  a  piece  of  wood,  to  give  it  strength,  and 
the  wood  in  turn  should  be  secured  by  small  nails 
in  position  on  the  box  as  shown.  This  template 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture      37 

should  be  set  the  proper  distance  from  the  center 
of  the  spindle,  so  that  on  turning  the  spindle  the 
center  of  the  core  produced  will  be  of  the  exact 
size  and  taper  desired,  as  indicated  at  Z),  Fig.  23. 

After  having  secured  the  template  in  the  proper 
position  mix  up  some  plaster  of  Paris,  as  prev- 
iously explained,  and  pour  or  throw  it  on  the 
partly  built-up  core,  at  the  same  time  turning  the 
spindle  by  means  of  the  handle.  The  plaster  thus 
added  will  adhere  to  and  partly  harden  on  the 
spindle.  Keep  adding  plaster  and  turning  the 
spindle  until  the  plaster  is  built  out  to  the  tem- 
plate, which  will  cut  or  scrape  it  off  and  form  it 
into  a  perfect  cone.  To  smooth  the  surface  of 
the  cone,  cut  away  all  of  the  plaster  that  has  ad- 
hered to  the  top  of  the  template,  and  with  your 
hand,  which  has  previously  been  wet  with  water, 
rub  the  surface  of  the  cone  as  it  is  being  revolved. 
Now  remove  the  template  and  shellac  and  oil 
the  cone  well  with  either  heavy  oil,  vaseline,  or 
lard. 

The  next  step  is  to  turn  up  or  form  the  outer 
portion  of  the  core.  A  template  should  be  made 
for  this  and  secured  to  the  box,  as  was  done  for 
the  center  of  the  core,  care  being  taken  to  locate 
it  in  the  proper  position  from  the  center  of  the 
spindle,  so  that  the  diameter  of  the  outside  of  the 
core  will  correspond  to  the  desired  diameter  of 
the  inside  of  the  finished  piece  to  be  made. 

Proceed  to  pour  or  throw  the  plaster  mixture 
on  the  center  of  the  core,  which  has  already  been 


38       Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

oiled,  and  keep  turning  the  spindle  until  the  plaster 
has  been  built  up  and  scraped  off  by  the  template 
and  the  desired  form  produced  to  the  outer  sur- 


Fig.  27 — A  Concrete  Vase  of  Bold  Design— Greatest  Diameter 
37  in.    Height  42  in.— Executed  by  L'Ibal  &  Co. 

face  of  the  core.  Smooth  the  surface  off,  as  was 
done  with  the  inside  of  the  core  or  cone,  and  shel- 
lac and  oil  it  well. 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  -Furniture      39 

Now  remove  the  whole  from  the  box  by  lifting 
up  the  tin  strips  i  and  2  in  Fig.  25,  which  hold 
the  spindle  in  place,  and  part  the  inner  core  D 
from  the  outer  section  of  the  core  by  jarring  the 
end  of  the  wooden  spindle  lightly  with  a  hammer. 
The  next  step  is  to  cut  the  outer  sections  of  the 
core,  which  is  now  in  the  form  of  a  continuous 
ring,  into  three  pieces.  This  can  be  done  with  an 
ordinary  wood  saw;  the  thinner  the  blade  of  the 
saw,  the  better.  Use  water  on  the  saw  blade 
while  cutting,  as  this  will  prevent  it  from  binding. 
Be  sure  to  cut  the  sections  as  shown  in  Fig.  23. 
The  section  A  must  be  wider  on  the  inner  circum- 
ference than  on  the  outer,  as  shown.  Now  assem- 
ble the  three  pieces,  into  which  the  outer  section 
of  the  cone  has  been  cut,  around  the  inner  section 
of  the  core  D,  so  that  they  are  again  in  the  same 
position  as  shown  in  Fig.  23,  fastening  them 
firmly  together  with  string  as  indicated. 

Then  place  the  core  as  assembled  in  the  box 
again,  care  being  taken  to  get  it  into  the  same 
position  as  before  removing  from  the  box,  secur- 
ing it  in  place  by  placing  the  tin  strips  i  and  2 
over  both  ends  of  the  spindle  as  before.  Shellac 
and  oil  well  the  outer  portion  of  the  core  again 
and  then  set  in  place  on  the  box  a  tin  template 
mounted  on  wood  and  shaped  to  correspond  to 
the  outer  section  of  the  finished  piece,  as  indicated 
in  Fig.  28. 

As  we  are  now  going  to  make  a  model  in 
plaster  of  the  finished  piece,  the  sides  of  which 


40      Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 


must  not  be  less  than  one-half  inch  thick,  the  tem- 
plate as  shown  must  be  placed  at  least  one-half 


Fig.  28— Template  for  Plaster 
Model 


Fig.  29— The  Finished 
Plaster  Model 


inch  from  the  outer  surface  of  the  inner  core.^ 
After  having  adjusted  the  template,  proceed  to 


Fig.  30— Grecian  Vase  -  Executed  by 
the  Erkins  Studios 

throw  on  the  plaster  and  turn  it  up  until  it  is  built 
out  to  the  template  and  shaped  into  the  desired 
form.  Smooth  it  off  with  water,  and  then  shellac 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture      41 

and  oil.  Remove  the  whole  from  the  turning  box, 
tap  the  end  of  the  wood  spindle,  and  if  care  has 
been  taken  to  shellac  and  oil  all  of  the  parts  as 
directed,  the  center  of  the  core  will  fall  out.  To 
remove  the  outer  part  of  the  core,  first  take  out 
the  smaller  piece  A  by  forcing  it  toward  the  cen- 
ter. The  rest  of  the  core  will  then  collapse,  and 
we  will  have  left  a  plaster  model  of  the  box,  as 
shown  in  Fig.  29,  which  we  are  to  cast  in  cement. 
Oil  the  outside  of  this  well,  and  then  proceed  to 


LAY  BELT 


Fig.  31 — Parts  Assembled  for  Casting  Plaster  Case 

make  the  outer  plaster  mold  in  three  pieces,  as 
already  explained  and  as  shown  in  Fig.  22. 

After  having  made  the  outer  mold,  proceed  to 
assemble  the  parts  as  shown  in  Fig.  31,  and  cast 
the  plaster  case,  as  was  described  in  the  last 
chapter  for  square  objects.  Use  a  clay  belt  around 
the  outer  mold  as  shown  to  prevent  the  plaster 
from  coming  down  too  far.  The  spindle  must 
be  cut  flush  with  bottom  of  plaster  model.  Be- 
fore casting  the  case  be  sure  to  shellac  and  oil 
all  parts  which  come  in  contact  with  the  wet  plas- 
ter used  in  casting  the  case.  After  having  re- 


42       Concrete  Potterv  and  Garden  Furniture 

moved  the  case  assemble  the  parts  again,  using 
the  case  as  a  base  as  shown  in  Fig.  32.  Cut  the 
spindle  flush  with  the  core.  The  mold  set  up  in 
this  position  is  ready  to  receive  the  liquid  cement 
mixture,  which  is  poured  the  same  way  as  already 
explained  in  the  last  chapter. 


CASE 


Fig.  32— Plaster  Mold  ready  to  Receive  Cement  Mixture 

One  need  not  confine  themselves  to  straight- 
sided  objects,  as  molds,  for  pieces  embodying 
curved  outlines,  etc.,  can  also  be  made  by  follow- 
ing the  general  directions  given  for  the  mold  just 
described,  the  only  difference  being  in  the  shape  of 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture      43 

the  templates  used.  It  will  therefore  be  unneces- 
sary to  go  into  details  as  to  how  to  make  a  mold 
for  vases  shaped  as  shown  in  Figs.  20,  27,  and 
33,  as  the  illustrations,  which  show  the  various 
steps,  will  make  it  clear  to  one  who  has  followed 
the  previous  directions  closely.  It  will  be  noticed, 
however,  that  there  is  quite  an  undercut  at  the 
point  a  in  the  vase  shown  in  Fig.  33,  owing  to 


Fig.  33— Steps  in  Making  a  Mold  for  a  Vase 

the  mouth  of  the  vase  being  of  a  smaller  diameter 
tha.n  the  greatest  inside  diameter  of  the  piece. 
The  main  thing  to  guard  against,  therefore,  in 
making  the  mold  for  this  piece  is  the  core.  Care 
must  be  taken  to  have  the  distance  B  shorter  than 
the  diameter  of  the  inside  core  or  cone  C.  If  this 
is  not  done,  it  will  be  impossible  to  get  the  core 


44       Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

out  of  the  finished  cast.  It  might  be  well  to  state 
the  progressive  operations  in  the  making  of  this 
mold.  They  are  as  follows :  First,  make  inner 
core  or  cone.  Second,  build  up  outside  part  of 
core.  Third,  remove  outside  part  of  core  and  cut 
into  pieces  as  shown.  Fourth,  reassemble  core 
and  place  in  spinning  box.  Fifth,  build  up  and 
turn  plaster  model  of  piece  to  be  cast.  Sixth, 
remove  all  pieces  from  spinning  box  and  cast  out- 
side mold.  Seventh,  cast  case. 


CHAPTER   V. 

COMBINATION     OF     CASTING     AND     MODELING     BY 
HAND AN  EGYPTIAN  VASE 

There  are  but  few  materials  that  lend  them- 
selves to  garden  ornaments  better  than  concrete. 
Like  stone,  it  seems  to  harmonize  with  the  sur- 
roundings and  gives  a  dignified  and  massive  ap- 
pearance to  the  whole  theme,  which  is  most  pleas- 
ing to  the  eye.  This  is  particularly  true  if  good, 


Fig.  34 — Egyptian  Vase  executed  in  Concrete  by  the  Author 

bold,  graceful  outlines  are  given  to  the  designs  of 
the  ornaments  used. 

As  a  usual  practice,  concrete  ornaments  are 
cast  in  plaster  or  glue  molds.  If  the  piece  is  at 
all  complicated  the  making  of  the  mold  in  which 


46       Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

it  is  to  be  cast  is  rather  an  expensive  operation, 
especially  so  when  there  are  but  one  or  two  pieces 
of  the  same  design  to  be  made. 

The  author  has  designed  and  made  several 
vases  shaped  as  shown  in  Fig.  34,  which  have  been 
much  admired.  The  method  used  in  making 
them  is  simple  and  somewhat  novel,  inasmuch  as 
it  embraces  a  combination  of  casting  and  model- 


Fig.  35-  Method  of  Making  Outside  Mold  and  Core 

ing.  A  description  of  how  these  vases  are  made 
may  be  of  interest  to  those  readers  who  are  apt 
at  making  things  and  who  wish  to  beautify  their 
lawns  or  gardens  at  a  minimum  expense. 

By  closely  following  the  instructions  given  in 
the  detailed  descriptions  of  the  various  operations 
used  in  the  making  of  the  vase  illustrated,  the 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture      47 

reader  will  be  able  to  produce  a  product  equally 
as  good  as  the  one  shown. 

The  first  thing  to  do  is  to  make  the  outer  mold, 
as  shown  in  Fig.  35.  This  can  be  made  of  heavy 
cardboard  or  very  thin,  pliable  wood.  In  the  de- 
sign shown  the  greatest  diameter  is  12  inches, 
therefore  the  length  of  the  piece  of  cardboard  to 
be  used  for  making  the  outside  form  must  be  at 
least  36  inches  long.  Make  it  38  inches.  This 


holes  aftoitt 
insidef 
for/uwcLlea 


inage  hole. 
Fig.  36 — Detailed  Drawing  of  Cement  Vase 

will  allow  a  lap  of  2  inches,  as  shown.  The 
height  of  the  vase  is  6l/2  inches,  therefore  the 
piece  should  be  38  inches  long  by  6l/2  inches  high. 
Form  this  into  a  circle  and  secure  the  ends  by 
means  of  pins  or  by  sewing  them  together  with 
string.  Now  cut  out  a  circular  piece  of  cardboard 
12  inches  in  diameter  as  shown  at  A,  Fig.  35 ;  this 
is  to  be  secured,  by  sewing,  to  the  bottom  of  the 
outside  mold,  thus  forming  a  circular  box  1 2 
inches  in  diameter  by  6]/2  inches  high,  as  shown 
in  the  illustration.  The  next  step  is  to  make  the 


48       Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

core,  or  that  part  of  the  mold  which  forms  the 
inside  sides  of  the  vase  or  the  hole.  By  referring 
to  Fig.  36  it  will  be  seen  that  the  core  is  6  inches 
in  diameter  by  5  inches  deep,  therefore  the  piece 
of  cardboard  necessary  to  form  the  core  must  be 
twenty  inches  long  by  5  inches  high.  This  will 
allow  a  lap  of  2  inches,  the  same  as  was  given  to 
the  outside  part  of  the  mold.  Form  a  circle  of 
this  piece,  as  shown  at  5,  and  secure  the  ends  in 
like  manner  as  were  those  of  the  outside  mold. 


Fig.  37— Mold  Assembled  Ready  to  Receive  Conci 

Now  with  mucilage  or  glue  secure  small  strips 
heavy  paper  to  the  bottom  of  the  outside  of  the 
core,  as  shown.  Then  place  the  core  in  the  bot- 
tom of  the  round  box,  as  indicated  in  Fig.  35.  Lo- 
cate it  over  the  6-inch  circle,  which  has  previously 
been  drawn  on  the  inside  bottom  of  the  box,  as 
shown  at  A,  Fig.  35,  and  secure  it  in  place  by  glu- 
ing down  the  small  pieces  of  paper  which  have 
already  been  attached  to  the  outside  of  the  core. 
Now  fill  the  inside  of  the  core  with  dry  earth, 
or,  better  still,  sand.  This  is  done  to  prevent  the 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture      49 

core  from  collapsing  when  the  concrete  is  placed 
in  the  mold.  Before  placing  the  concrete  the  out- 
side mold  should  also  be  bound  around  with  heavy 
twine,  as  shown  in  Fig.  37,  to  prevent  it  from 
bulging.  Now  insert  in  the  sand  or  earth,  in  the 
center  of  the  core,  a  wooden  plug  about  ^  inch 
in  diameter,  as  shown  at  a  in  Fig.  37.  Taper  it  as 
shown,  and  shellac  and  oil  it  well  so  that  it  will 
draw  out  easily  from  the  concrete.  Let  it  project 
about  2  inches  out  from  the  core.  This  plug  will 
form  the  drainage-hole  in  the  bottom  of  the  vase. 
The  mold  is  now  complete,  but  before  filling  it 
with  concrete  it  should  be  placed  on  a  working- 
board,  which  should  be  at  least  18  inches  square, 
as  shown  in  Fig.  37.  The  next  step  is  the  prepara- 
tion of  the  mixture.  In  this  case,  owing  to  the 
fact  that  the  piece  is  to  be  modeled,  no  stone 
should  be  used.  The  mixture  should  be  composed 
of  2  parts  of  good  clean  sand,  not  too  coarse,  and 
i  part  of  Portland  cement.  Mix  the  sand  and 
cement  together  thoroughly  while  dry  until  a  good 
uniform  color  is  obtained  throughout.  Now  add 
enough  water  to  this  so-  as  to  make  it  of  the  con- 
sistency of  putty  or  fairly  stiff  dough.  Work  it 
up  well  so  as  to  procure  a  uniform  consistency 
through  the  whole  mass.  Now  place  this  mixture, 
in  its  plastic  state,  in  the  mold,  ramming  or  tamp- 
ing it  down  lightly  as  you  place  it  in.  Fill  the 
mold  flush  with  its  sides,  and  level  it  off  as  shown 
at  A  in  Fig.  37.  Do  not  disturb  the  mold, 
which  is  now  filled  with  the  mixture,  for  at  least 


50      Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

two  or  three  hours.  After  having  set  for  the 
above  length  of  time  the  concrete  will  be  hard 
enough  to  allow  of  the  removal  of  the  outer  mold, 
and  the  sharp  corners  of  the  concrete,  shown  at  A 
in  Fig.  38,  can  be  roughly  cut  off  by  means  of  a 
sharp  tool  such  as  the  edge  of  a  good  strong  knife 
or  a  mason's  trowel.  The  next  thing  to  do  is  to 
make  a  template,  or  former,  with  which  to  model 


-„.'!         ^  To  lie  ciitoff, 
A" 


Fig.  38  — Method  of  Forming  or 
Modeling  Bottom  of  Vase 


or  shape  the  vase.  This  is  done  as  follows :  First 
procure  a  piece  of  fairly  heavy  sheet  tin  or  zinc 
and  draw  on  it  an  exact  outline  of  the  bottom  half 
of  the  finished  vase,  as  indicated  in  Fig.  38.  Now 
cut  a  piece  of  i-inch  thick  wood,  as  shown,  and  nail 
to  this  the  tin  template,  as  indicated.  Hold  the 
bottom  part  of  this  template  firmly  to  the  work- 
ing-board and  against  the  side  of  the  concrete 
cast,  as  shown  in  Fig.  38,  and  by  gradually  work- 
ing it  back  and  forth  around  the  piece  the  super- 
fluous cement,  which  is  still  in  a  soft  state, 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture      5 1 

will  be  cut  or  scraped  off  of  the  cast  and  a  good 
uniform  outline  will  be  produced  around  its  en- 
tire surface.  Now  remove  the  plug  a  by  means 
of  gently  twisting  and  pulling.  Then  place  an- 
other working-board  on  top  of  the  cast,  as  shown 
in  Fig.  39,  at  A,  and  then  lift  the  piece  up,  at  the 
same  time  firmly  holding  the  two  working-boards 
against  it,  as  shown,  and  reverse  the  whole  into 
the  position  indicated  by  B  in  Fig.  39.  Remove 


Place  board  on  top 


• 


\>oaition 
vfhan 

'  r^™P™eeJ**.at"£"^ 


Fig.  39  — Showing  Method  of  Reversing  Cast 

the  board  which  is  now  on  top,  as  well  as  the  card- 
board disk  which  formed  the  bottom  of  the  mold, 
and  proceed  to  model  the  upper  part  of  the  cast 
in  the  same  manner  as  was  explained  for  model- 
ing or  forming  the  bottom  of  the  piece.  A  de- 
tailed drawing  of  the  template  to  use  in  modeling 
the  top  is  shown  at  A  in  Fig.  41 .  It  will  be  noticed 
that  the  distance  from  the  bottom  to  the  top  of 
this  template  is  i  inch  shorter  than  the  template 
used  for  forming  the  bottom  of  the  vase.  This 


52       Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 


is  to  allow  for  the  depth  of  the  ring  around  the 
top  of  the  vase,  as  shown  in  Fig.  41.    The  shaded 


Fig.  40— Concrete  Vases  and  Pedestal-  Executed  by 
Emerson  &  Norris  Co. 

portion  in  Fig.  39  represents  the  superfluous  ce- 
ment which  is  to  be  cut  away  from  the  top  of  the 
cast  before  starting  to  use  the  template  to  form 


Template  for- 


Fig.  4! — Method  of  Forming  Top  of  Vase 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture      53 

the  finished  outline  of  the  vase.  The  square 
edges  which  will  be  left  on  the  ring  by  the  tem- 
plate, as  indicated  at  a  in  Fig.  41,  can  be  rounded 
oft  by  hand,  with  a  pointing  tool  or  knife,  as 
shown  at  b.  The  body  of  the  vase  is  now  com- 
plete, and  it  can  be  set  aside  to  harden.  Do  not 


"ross  flection  tJi/viyrk  a-K 
Fig.  42 — Mold  in  which  to  Cast  Handles  or  Ears 

attempt  to  remove  it  from  the  working-board  for 
at  least  eight  to  twelve  hours,  for,  as  yet,  it  is  in 
a  soft  state  and  must  be  handled  carefully. 

The  next  step  is  to  cast  the  ears  or  handles. 
To  do  this  a  model  must  be  made  as   follows: 


54       Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

First  procure  a  piece  of  wood  and  cut  it  into  a 
triangle,  as  shown  at  A  in  Fig.  42.  Make  the  two 
sides  marked  i  and  2,  7  inches  long.  Now  lay  out 
the  outline  of  the  handle  on  this  piece  of  wood, 
as  shown  by  the  unshaded  part  at  B,  closely  fol- 
lowing the  dimensions  given.  The  dotted  lines 


Fig.  43  -  Concrete  Table— Executed  by 
Emerson  &  Norris  Co. 

on  the  two  ends  of  the  handle  show  a  projection 
of  about  %  inch.  This  length  is  added  to  the 
handle  in  order  to  insert  it  into  niches  or  holes 
which  are  later  to  be  cut  in  the  sides  of  the  vrase 
for  this  purpose.  A  piece  of  wood  should  now 
be  cut  out  to  conform  to  the  outline  of  the  shaded 
portion  shown  in  Fig.  42  at  B.  This  should  be 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture       55 

made  of  wood  2  inches  thick  or  should  be  built 
up  of  two  i -inch  boards,  as  it  forms  the  inner 
part  of  the  mold  for  the  handles,  which  are  to  be 
2  inches  wide.  Secure  this  piece,  by  nails,  in  posi- 
tion on  the  triangular  piece  of  wood,  as  shown  at 
C  in  Fig.  42,  and  then  nail  lightly  to  the  outside  of 
the  triangle  strips  of  wood  as  shown.  Be  sure  to 
have  them  lap  as  indicated.  The  tops  of  these 
strips  should  also  be  on  a  level  with  the  top  of  the 
solid  block  a,  or  a  distance  of  2  inches  from  the 
inside  bottom  of  the  triangular  piece,  as  shown  in 
the  cross-section  at  D  in  Fig.  42.  Shellac  and  oil 
the  inside  of  the  mold  well  to  prevent  the  concrete 
from  sticking. 

Now  secure  four  pieces  of  steel  wire  1/8  to 
3/1 6  inch  in  diameter  and  from  13  inches  to  14 
inches  long,  and  bend  them  to  the  shape  shown 
by  the  heavy  dark  line  in  the  plan  drawing  at  B, 
Fig.  42.  Lay  these  to  one  side  and  then  start  to 
fill  the  box  or  mold  for  the  handle  with  a  mixture 
composed  of  the  same  ingredients  as  was  used  for 
the  body  of  the  vase.  Fill  the  mold  first  to  a  depth 
of  l/2  inch  and  tamp  or  press  the  cement  down 
well,  and  then  lay  in,  in  the  position  indicated, 
one  of  the  wires.  Now  lay  in  i  inch  more  of  the 
mixture,  and  press  or  tamp  it  down,  and  then  place 
in  the  other  wire,  and  fill  the  mold  flush  with  the 
top  as  shown  at  D  in  Fig.  42.  Trowel  it  off 
smooth  and  let  it  set  for  from  eight  to  twelve 
hours,  so  that  it  will  harden  up  well.  Then  care- 
fully remove  the  sides  of  the  mold ;  first  removing 


56      Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

side  3  and  then  side  i.  After  having  removed 
these  two  sides  the  cast  of  the  handle  can  be  easily 
removed  without  fear  of  breaking  it.  Clean  the 
mold  out  well  and  shellac  and  oil  the  insides  of  it 
again.  Then  replace  the  sides  3  and  i  and  pro- 
ceed to  cast  the  other  handle  in  the  same  way. 
After  removing  the  handles  from  the  mold  wet 
them  down  occasionally  so  that  they  will  become 
good  and  hard. 

The  next  step  is  to  cut  holes  into  the  body  of 
the  vase  into  which  to  insert  and  cement  the  han- 
dles. The  sand  or  earth  core,  as  well  as  the  card- 


Fig.  44—  Method  of  Applying  Handles  or  Ears 

board  lining,  should  be  removed  and  a  line  should 
be  drawn  across  the  top  and  down  both  sides  of 
the  vase  at  its  center,  as  shown  in  Fig.  44.  This 
line  will  show  where  the  handles  are  to  be  located. 
Hold  the  handle  in  its  proper  position  against  the 
side  of  the  vase,  and  with  a  pencil  outline  the  posi- 
tion and  shape  of  its  two  ends  on  the  body  of  the 
vase.  Now  with  a  hammer  and  chisel  gently  cut 
out  holes  at  these  points  about  ^  inch  deep,  into 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture       57 

which  to  cement  the  handle.  Locate  and  cut  out 
holes  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  vase  for  the 
other  handle  to  fit  into  it  in  like  manner.  Now 
by  gently  tapping  with  a  hammer  roughen  up  the 
ends  of  the  handles,  and  then  place  both  the  vase 
and  the  handle  in  water  or  sprinkle  them  until 
they  are  thoroughly  wet.  Now  mix  some  pure 
Portland  cement  and  water  together  into  a  fairly 
thick  paste,  and  trowel  it  well  into  the  holes  pre- 
pared for  the  handle  in  the  body  of  the  vase  as 
well  as  on  to  both  ends  of  the  handle.  Sprinkle 
both  of  these  surfaces  with  water  and  then  place 
the  handle  in  position,  firmly  pressing  it  in  place. 
True  it  up  and  scrape  away  the  surplus  cement, 
at  the  same  time  making  a  neat  finish  around  the 
handle  where  it  joins  the  vase.  Hold  the  handle 
in  position  by  binding  it  firmly  in  place  by  good 
stout  string.  Wedge  the  string  up,  as  indicated  in 
Fig.  44,  to  help  further  tighten  it.  Wet  the  joint 
down  well  with  water  occasionally  and  allow  the 
string  to  remain  in  position  for  at  least  twelve 
hours  before  removing  it  in  order  to  allow  the 
handle  to  be  firmly  cemented  in  place.  Secure  the 
other  handle  to  the  vase  in  like  manner,  and  the 
vase  is  now  complete. 

If  by  any  chance  there  should  be  any  holes  or 
marked  irregularities  in  the  surface  of  the  vase 
these  can  be  pointed  or  filled  up  with  a  mixture 
composed  of  the  same  ingredients  as  used  in  the 
body  of  the  vase.  A  good  smooth,  fairly  light 
finish  can  be  procured  by  rubbing  the  whole  sur- 


58       Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

face  down  with  coarse  emery  cloth.  Then  soak 
the  vase  in  water  and  rub  over  its  entire  surface 
a  thin  coat  of  a  mixture  composed  of  i  part  of 
marble  dust  and  I  part  of  Portland  cement.  Let 
this  dry  out  and  then  again  wet  down  the  vase. 
The  oftener  the  vase  is  wet  the  harder  it  will  be. 
Remember  that  water  is  a  most  important  factor 
in  all  concrete  work.  One  can  never  get  a  good 
bond  between  two  surfaces  if  the  parts  are  not 
thoroughly  wet  down.  The  dimensions  given  in 
Fig.  36  are  merely  suggestive.  The  same  general 
principle  and  directions  as  given  above  can  be 
used  for  making  a  vase  of  almost  any  size  and 
shape,  as  well  as  for  making  tables,  pedestals,  etc, 


CHAPTER  VI. 

GLUE    MOLDS 

Glue  molds,  or  flexible  molds  as  they  are  often 
called,  are  extensively  used  in  casting  concrete  or- 
naments in  which  the  design  embodies  heavy  relief 
work  containing  more  or  less  undercut.  Owing  to 
the  flexible  nature  of  these  molds,  they  can  be 
made  in  fewer  pieces  than  a  plaster  mold  could 
be  made,  for  the  same  class  of  work,  and  at  the 
same  time  they  can  be  more  easily  removed  from 
the  cast,  while  the  concrete  is  still  in  a  more  or 
less  unhardened  state,  with  less  fear  of  injuring 
the  more  delicate  parts  of  the  design. 

The  only  objection  to  the  glue  mold  is  that  its 
life  is  limited  to  from  five  to  eight  casts  at  the 
most,  whereas  the  life  of  a  plaster  mold  is  prac- 
tically unlimited.  In  making  a  glue  mold,  as  in 
all  other  cast  work,  the  first  thing  to  do  is  to  pro- 
cure your  original  or  model  of  the  piece  which  is 
to  be  reproduced.  First  will  be  explained  how  to 
make  a  simple  one-piece  form  of  glue  mold,  such 
as  is  used  in  casting  pieces  similar  to  those  illus- 
trated in  Figs.  45,  46  and  47.  Take  the  model  of 
the  piece  which  is  to  be  reproduced,  and  secure  it  to 
the  working-board,  as  shown  in  the  cross-sectional 
drawing,  Fig.  48.  A  daub  of  shellac  on  the  back 
of  the  model  in  most  cases  will  hold  it  in  place 
on  the  working-board.  Now  dampen  an  old 


60       Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

newspaper  and  lay  it  over  the  model.  Let  it  fol- 
low the  general  outlines  of  the  model  as  closely  as 
you  can,  as  shown  by  the  heavy  line  in  Fig.  48. 
The  next  step  is  to  procure  some  modelers'  clay, 
and  with  an  ordinary  rolling  pin  roll  it  out  into  a 
sheet  about  T/  inch  thick.  The  model  is  now  to 


Fig.  45— Cast  from  Glue  Mold 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture       61 

be  completely  covered  with  this  sheet  clay,  as 
shown  in  Fig.  49,  thus  producing  an  even  thick- 
ness of  y2  inch  of  clay  all  over  its  entire  surface. 
The  clay  thus  placed  on  the  model  is  next  to  be 
entirely  covered  with  a  plaster  of  Paris  case  of 
about  ]/2  inch  to  I  inch  in  thickness,  according  to 
the  size  of  the  piece. 


Fig.  45a— Glue  Mold 


62       Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

The  method  of  casting  a  plaster  of  Paris  case 
is  explained  in. detail  in  the  chapter  on  Plaster 
Molds.  Before  casting  the  case,  however,  do  not 
neglect  to  oil  the  surface  of  the  clay  well,  so  as  to 
prevent  it  from  adhering  to  the  inside  of  the  plas- 


Fig.  46— Cast  from  Glue  Mold 


ter  case.  After  the  plaster  case  has  hardened 
mark  its  outline  on  the  working  board,  and  then 
carefully  lift  the  case  and  remove  it  from  the  clay 
covering,  then  in  turn  remove  the  clay  covering 
and  paper  from  the  model.  If  any  of  the  paper 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture       63 

should  have  adhered  to  the  model,  clean  it  off, 
and  then  shellac  and  oil  the  model  well,  so  as  to 
prevent  the  glue  from  sticking  to  it. 

Now  take  the  plaster  case  and  make  a  good- 


Fig.  46a— Glue  Mold 

sized  hole  in  it  at  d,  as  indicated  in  Fig.  51.  This 
hole  should  be  at  least  ft  inch  in  diameter,  as  it  is 
to  receive  the  end  of  the  funnel  through  which 
the  glue  is  to  be  poured.  Also  make  a  number 


64       Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 


Fig.  47 — A  Few  Specimens  of  Heavy  Undercut  Work 
Cast  in  Glue  Molds 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture      65 

of  smaller  holes,  say  l/%  inch  in  diameter,  at 
various  points  throughout  the  cast,  as  indicated 
by  the  light  double  lines.  These  latter  holes  are 


fleaw  lute  indicates  newspaper* 


Hortmy  boart 

Fig.  48  -  Position  of  Model  on  Working  Board  ready  to 
Cover  with  Clay 

vent  holes,  and  are  provided  in  the  case  so  as  to 
let  the  air  escape  from  within  while  the  liquid  glue 
is  being  poured.  After  having  prepared  the  cast 
as  directed,  replace  it  in  its  original  position  over 
the  model,  as  indicated  by  the  outline  of  it  which 
was  made  on  the  working  board  before  it  was 


fOutaeu  of  Clay 


Fig.  49— Model  Covered  with  Clay  and  Plaster  Case 

removed  from  the  clay  covering  over  which  it 
was  cast.  Secure  the  case  firmly  to  the  board  by 
means  of  passing  canvas  straps  over  it,  as  shown 
in  the  end  view  Fig.  52.  Now,  instead  of  having 


66      Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

an  even  thickness  of  clay  over  the  model,  we 
have  a  cavity  of  uniform  size  around  the  entire 
model,  into  which  the  glue  is  to  be  poured.  It  is 
essential  that  the  glue  should  be  of  a  uniform 


Fig.  50— Heavy  Piece  Cast  in  a  Glue  Mold— By  J.  C.  Kraus 

thickness  over  the  entire  surface  of  the  model,  in 
order  to  have  it  flow  properly,  and  also  to  pro- 
duce a  uniform  flexibility  throughout  the  glue 
mold.  The  best  glue  to  use  in  making  glue  molds 
is  a  fine  grade  of  white  glue.  This  can  be  pro- 
cured at  almost  any  paint  store.  If  the  dealer 
does  not  know  exactly  what  you  want,  ask  for  the 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture      67 

regular  grade  of  glue  of  which  plasterers  make 
glue  molds.  Almost  any  good  glue,  however,  will 
do;  it  ranges  in  price  from  18  cents  to  25  cents 
per  pound.  Sheet  gelatine  can  also  be  used  in 


f/xxe 


Fig.  51  — Model  and  Plaster  Case  in  Position  Ready  for 
Pouring  the  Glue 

making  flexible  molds,  but  it  is  a  trifle  more  expen- 
sive than  glue.  To  prepare  the  glue,  soak  it  in 
water  from  ten  to  fifteen  minutes,  in  which  time 


End  View  of  case  s/wufina  canvas  sfaaps  for*  holding  case  down 
'  u/u/i  glue  is  being  powfd 

Fig.  52— Method  of  Holding  Case  to  Working  Board  while 
Pouring  the  Glue 

it  will  absorb  the  water  and  swell  up.  Now  take 
a  regular  double  tin;  cover  the  bottom  of  the 
inner  tin  with  water,  and  then  place  in  it  the  glue 
prepared  as  directed  above.  If  a  double  tin  is 


68       Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 


Fig.  53  -Concrete  Fountain— By  J.  C    Krav 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture       69 

not  available,  two  tin  pails  can  be  used,  as  shown 
in  Figs.  55  and  56.  One  of  these  should  be  placed 
inside  of  the  other  as  shown,  and  the  bottom  of 


Fig.  54— Concrete  Sun  Dial  Pedestal  or  Base  for  Table. 

Size  35  in.  High  by  38  in.  in  Diameter — Executed 

by  the  Erkins  Studios 

the  inner  pail  should  be  kept  about  2  inches  from 
the  bottom  of  the  outer  pail  by  letting  it  rest  on 
a  block  of  wood  or  a  piece  of  brick.  When 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 


Fig.  55— Glue  Melting-  Pot  on  Stove  showing  Rack  for  Glue  abov 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture       71 

melting  the  glue  do  not  have  too  hot  a  fire,  but 
let  the  glue  melt  slowly  until  it  is  of  the  con- 
sistency of  thin  molasses.  When  it  is  of  the  proper 
consistency  pour  it  into  the  funnel,  which  has 
previously  been  secured  in  place  in  the  plaster 


Tin  Pails 


Block 


Fig.  56 — Method  of  Making  a  Glue  Melting  Pot  from  two 
I'in  Pails 

case,  as  indicated  in  Fig.  51.  Now  as  the  mold 
fills  up,  the  glue  will  run  out  of  the  vent  holes, 
which  are  shown  by  the  heavy  dotted  lines,  thus 
indicating  that  the  glue  is  flowing  properly.  As 
the  glue  appears  at  these  holes,  stop  them  up  with 
a  daub  of  modeler's  clay.  Keep  on  pouring  the 


72       Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 


Fig.  57 — Ornamental  Figures— 70  inches  High — Executed 
by  the  Erkins  Studios 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture       73 

glue  until  it  runs  out  of  the  highest  vent  hole  and 
until  the  funnel  remains  full.  The  glue  thus 
poured  will  take  about  twelve  hours  to  congeal 


Fig.  58  -Concrete  Vase  with  Design  in  Relief — Executed 
by  the  Erkins  Studios 

or  harden,  after  which  time  the  plaster  case  or 
mask,  as  it  is  sometimes  called,  can  be  lifted  off: 
This  is  done  by  first  cutting  the  glue  away  from 
the  funnel,  and  then  removing  the  canvas  straps 


74       Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

which  held  the  case  down  on  the  working  board 
and  prevented  it  from  rising  as  the  glue  was 
poured.  Now  in  turn  remove  the  glue  mold  from 
the  model.  This  can  be  easily  done,  if  the  model 


Fig.  59— Highly  Ornamented  Concrete  Table— By  J.  C.  Kraus 

has  been  properly  oiled,  by  simply  springing  out 
the  sides  of  the  glue  cast,  and  lifting  it  up  from 
the  face  of  the  model. 

Before  making  a  cast  in  the  glue  mold,  the  face 
of  it  must  be  treated  so  as  to  make  it  as  near 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture       75 

waterproof  as  one  can.  A  common  method  of 
doing  this  is  to  paint  the  surface  of  the  mold  with 
a  saturated  solution  of  alum.  About  three  coats 
of  this  solution  are  necessary,  letting  each  coat 
dry  out  well  before  applying  the  next.  A  simpler 
and  probably  more  effective  method  is  to  coat  the 
face  of  the  glue  mold  with  one  or  two  coats  of  a 
fine  grade  of  good  clear  flexible  varnish.  Before 
making  a  cast,  always  oil  the  inner  face  of  the 
mold  well  with  a  light  oil.  To  assemble  the  mold 


Comfy  info  urfiuA  femenf  JKitfufa  isfote/vuivct 


r  '•"  | 


Fig.  60 — Glue  Mold  Assembled  and  in  Position  for 
Pouring  Cement 

for  a  cast,  place  the  mask  or  case  on  the  working 
board,  as  shown  in  Fig.  60.  Then  drop  in  the 
glue  mold,  which  will  find  its  place  in  the  case 
readily,  and  then  proceed  to  pour  in  the  cement 
mixture.  The  mixture  to  use  for  this  class  of 
work  should  be  composed  of  i  part  Portland 
cement  to  2  or  3  parts  of  sand.  Enough  water 
should  be  added  to  make  it  of  a  creamy  consist- 
ency or  thin  enough  to  pour.  Fill  the  mold  with 
this  mixture  flush  with  the  top,  and  then  jar  the 
mold  up  and  down  two  or  three  times  to  force 


76       Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 


Fig.  61  -  Plaster  Model  of  Table  Leg 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture      77 

out  any  air  that  may  have  gotten  in  with  the  mix- 
ture while  pouring.  If  this  is  not  done,  air 
bubbles  or  voids  may  appear  in  the  face  of  the 
finished  cast.  Allow  this  mixture  to  harden  for 
at  least  twelve  hours  after  being  poured.  To 
remove  the  cast,  turn  the  case  over,  and  the  glue 
mold  will  come  away  from  it;  then  by  gently 
taking  hold  of  the  glue  mold  and  bending  it  up, 
the  cement  cast  will  readily  be  released. 


Fig.  62 —First  Operation  in  the  Making  of  the  Glue  Mold 

In  making  a  glue  mold  for  a  piece  having  relief 
work  on  all  four  sides.,  or  all  around  its  surface, 
as  in  circular  pieces,  such  as  the  table  leg,  the 
plaster  model  of  which  is  shown  in  Fig.  61,  a  dif- 
ferent method  of  procedure  must  be  employed 
than  that  which  has  just  been  explained.  The 
first  thing  to  do  is  to  place  the  model  on  the 
working  board,  as  shown  in  Fig.  62.  Now  draw 
a  line  along  the  opposite  sides  of  the  model  at  its 
widest  part,  and  build  up  to  this  line,  from  the 


78       Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

working  board,  with  modelers'  clay.  Sometimes 
in  order  to  save  clay  and  time,  boards  are  placed 
along  the  sides  of  the  model  so  as  to  come  almost 


Fig.  63— Half  of  Model  Covered  with  CJay 


Concrete  Potterv  and  Garden  Furniture      79 

to  a  level  with  the  line  drawn  on  the  model,  and 
then  the  clay  is  built  up  from  these  boards  to  a 
line  corresponding  to  the  line  on  the  model,  as 


Fig.  64 — Plaster  Case  being  Cast  on  Model  over  Clay 


8o       Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

shown  in  Fig.  62.    This  line  is  known  as  the  part- 
ing line. 

After  having  built  up  the  clay  around  the  model 
as  shown,  a  damp  newspaper  should  be  placed 
over  it,  and  in  turn  this  should  be  covered  with  a 
5/2-inch  layer  of  clay,  as  previously  explained  and 
as  shown  in  Fig.  63.  A  plaster  case  should  then 
be  cast  over  this  clay  in  a  similar  manner,  as 
explained  before  and  as  shown  in  Fig.  64.  After 


Fig.  65 — Model  Turned  Over  and  in  Position  to  have  Upper 
Half  Covered  with  Clay 

this  case  has  hardened,  the  clay  and  boards,  which 
were  used  for  forming  the  parting  line,  should  be 
removed  and  the  whole  piece,  including  the  plaster 
case,  the  clay  covering  over  the  model,  and  the 
model  itself,  should  be  turned  over  on  the  work- 
ing board  into  the  position  shown  in  Fig.  65. 
Now  the  upper  part  or  half  of  the  model,  which 
is  still  exposed,  is  to  be  treated  in  like  manner. 
Before  casting  the  upper  plaster  cast,  however,  it 


Concrete  Pottcr\  and  Garden  Furniture       8 1 

would  be  well  to  shellac  and  oil  the  exposed  edges 
of  the  lower  plaster  case,  so  as  to  prevent  the 
upper  half  of  the  case  sticking  to  it.  After  having 
cast  the  upper  plaster  case  on  the  model,  it  will 
appear  as  shown  in  Fig.  66. 

The  whole  should  then  be  set  up  on  end,  and  a 


Fig.  66 — Model  Completely  Covered  with  Clay  and  Plaster  Case 

plaster  base  or  bottom  should  be  cast  on  it.  The 
inner  sides  of  this  bottom  piece  should  be  tapered 
and  should  extend  up  around  the  outer  sides  of 
the  case  for  at  least  from  2  to  3  inches,  as  shown 
in  Fig.  67.  The  method  used  for  casting  a  plaster 
base  or  bottom  of  this  kind  for  a  mold  is  clearly 
explained  in  the  chapter  on  "Plaster  Molds." 
After  having  cast  this  bottom  piece,  the  whole 
-should  be  disassembled,  and  the  plaster  case, 


82       Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

which  was  cast  around  the  model,  should  be  taken 
off,  and  the  clay  and  paper  in  turn  should  be 
removed  from  the  model.  The  model  should 


Fig.  67 — Pouring  the  Glue  into  the  Case  ?.r.d  Around  the  Model 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture      83 

then  be  thoroughly  cleaned  up  and  oiled.  The 
plaster  case  should  then  be  assembled  around  it, 
as  shown  in  Fig.  67,  and  firmly  held  together  by 
means  of  hooks  or  bands.  The  glue  should  then 


Fig.  68— Showing  the  Flexibility  of  the  Glue  Mold 


84       Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

be  poured  into  the  cavity  between  the  plaster  case 
and  the  mold,  as  shown  in  the  illustration.  After 
having  poured  the  glue,  let  the  whole  stand,  with- 
out disturbing  it  in  any  wray,  for.  at  least  twelve 
hours,  in  which  time  the  glue  Avill  have  hardened 
sufficiently  to  allow  of  the  two  halves  of  the 
plaster  case  to  be  removed.  These  should  come 
away  readily  from  the  glue  if  they  have  been  well 
oiled  before  the  glue  was  poured.  On  the  outer 
part  of  the  glue  mold  there  will  appear  a  line  or 
a  slightly  elevated  ridge  of  glue.  This  will  indi- 
cate the  location  of  the  joining  of  the  two  halves 
of  the  plaster  case.  The  glue  mold  must  be  cut 
along  these  lines,  so  as  to  form  two  halves  of  it. 
This  cutting  can  be  readily  accomplished  by  using 
a  good,  strong,  sharp  knife.  Do  not  hack  it  or 
roughen  the  edges  of  the  glue  any  more  than  can 
be  helped.  The  glue  mold  when  cut  in  halves 
should  appear  as  shown  in  Fig.  68.  In  the  illus- 
tration one  of  the  halves  of  the  glue  mold  is 
shown  in  place  in  the  plaster  case,  and  the  other 
is  shown  resting  on  the  other  half  of  the  case. 
By  the  way  it  bends  under  its  own  weight,  one 
can  readily  see  how  flexible  it  is.  After  having 
been  cut  in  half,  the  inner  surfaces  of  the  glue 
mold  should  be  treated  with  a  saturated  solution 
of  alum,  or  it  should  be  varnished,  as  previously 
explained.  If  the  mold  is  to  be  varnished,  it 
should  be  allowed  to  dry  out  for  twenty-four 
hours  after  it  has  been  removed  from  the  model 
before  the  first  coat  is  applied.  It  should  then  be 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture       85 

well  oiled  before  a  cast  is  made  in  it.  In  assem- 
bling the  mold  for  a  cast,  the  two  halves  of  the 
glue  mold  should  be  placed  in  their  respective 
plaster  cases.  These  in  turn  should  then  be 


Fig.  69— Concrete  Table,  the  Legs  of  which  were  Cast  in  a 
Glue  Mold 


86       Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

brought  together  and  placed  in  the  bottom  part 
of  the  mold,  then  they  should  be  firmly  secured 
together  by  means  of  bands  or  hooks,  as  was  done 
when  casting  the  glue  mold  and  as  illustrated  in 
Fig.  67. 

The  pouring  of  the  cement  mixture,  the  re- 
moving of  the  mold,  and  the  curing  of  the  finished 
cast  is  done  in  a  similar  manner  as  when  casting 


Fig.  70 — Large  Vase  and  Saucer  with  Design  in  High  Relief  — 
Executed  by  J.  C.  Kraus 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture       87 


in  any  other  form  of  mold.  In  Fig.  69  is  illus- 
trated a  table,  the  legs  of  which  are  of  concrete 
casts  made  in  the  glue  mold  just  described.  The 
same  principles  of  procedure  as  explained  above 
are  used  in  making  glue  molds  for  round  or  square 
vases.  The  only  additional  part  required  for 
vase  work  is  the  core.  These  can  be  made  of 


Wood  mner>_ 
Coi°e  OP  Ptuy 


G/ue  MeU 
or  outer*  Coi°0 


Fig    71  -Combination  Glue  and  Wood  Core  for  Vase  Work 

plaster  as  described  in  a  previous  chapter,  or  they 
can  be  made  of  glue  with  an  inner  core  of  wood, 
as  illustrated  in  Fig.  71.  In  this  case  the  outer 
part  of  the  inner  wood  core  should  be  well  oiled, 
so  that  it  can  be  withdrawn  from  the  glue  shell. 
The  glue  shell  of  the  core,  which  will  then  re- 
main in  place  in  the  cast,  can  then,  due  to  its 
flexible  nature,  be  collapsed  and  withdrawn  from 
the  inner  part  of  the  cast.  When  casting  vases, 
always  cast  them  with  the  bottom  up,  as  explained 
in  Chapters  III  and  IV. 

When  one  is  through  with  a  glue  mold,  it  need 


88       Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

not  be  thrown  away,  for  the  glue  in  it  is  still  good 
to  use.  It  should  be  cut  up  into  small  pieces  and 
allowed  to  dry  out.  It  can  then  be  melted  over 
again  and  used  for  making  other  glue  molds.  A 
rack  containing  pieces  of  old  glue  molds  cut  up, 
ready  for  use,  is  shown  in  Fig.  55,  just  above  the 
glue  pots  and  stove. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

COLORED    CEMENTS    AND    METHODS    USED    IN 
PRODUCING    DESIGNS    WITH    SAME 

After  having  mastered  the  process  of  modeling 
and  casting,  as  explained  in  the  previous  chapters, 
the  craftsman  can  now  take  up  the  decorative 
features.  The  possibilities  of  ornamentation,  one 
can  say,  are  almost  unlimited  with  this  material. 
Various  effects  can  be  obtained.  One  can  repro- 


Fig.  72 — Copy  of  an  Antique — Executed  by  the  Author 

duce  antiques  which  can  hardly  be  told  from  the 
originals,  and  original  designs  embodying  various 
colors  can  be  made  which  will  compare  favorably 


90       Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

with  modern  clay  pottery  effects.  Owing  to  the 
material  used  the  texture  obtained  is  one  which  is 
full  of  life  and  sparkle.  It  has  a  distinct  charac- 
teristic of  its  own  which  cannot  be  obtained  in 
any  other  material. 

As  a  specific  case  of  what  can  be  done  along 
these  lines  we  will  take  the  copy  of  an  antique 
which  is  illustrated  in  Fig.  72.  This  was  made  as 
follows:  It  was  first  cast  with  perfectly  smooth 
sides*  a  mixture  of  i  part  Portland  cement  to  2 
parts  of  fairly  coarse  brown  sand  being  used. 
After  pouring  this  mixture  it  was  allowed  to  set 
in  the  mold  for  from  eight  to  twelve  hours.  The 
mold  was  then  removed  and  the  piece  was  found 
to  be  in  a  more  or  less  soft  state.  That  is,  it  had 
to  be  handled  carefully,  and  the  concrete  had  not 
become  so  hard  that  an  impression  could  not  be 
made  in  it  with  the  sharp  point  of  a  knife;  the 
design  as  shown  was  then  marked  on  the  surface, 
and  in  turn  it  was  cut  and  dug  out  by  a  strong 
knife  blade.  A  straightedge  was  placed  along  the 
various  lines,  being  used  as  a  guide  for  the  blade. 
The  depth  to  which  the  design  should  be  cut 
varies  according  to  the  size  of  the  piece;  but  in 
small  work  usually  from  ]/%  of  an  inch  to  3/16 
of  an  inch  will  give  the  most  effective  results.  If 
for  any  reason  one  cannot  commence  the  work  of 
cutting  out  the  design  within  twelve  hours  after 
the  piece  has  been  cast,  or  until  the  piece  has 
become  quite  hard,  it  will  then  be  necessary  to 
use  a  small  hammer  and  chisel  with  which  to  cut 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture       91 

out  the  design.  Care  should  be  taken,  however, 
in  using  these  tools  not  to  strike  too  hard  a  blow, 
for  if  one  hits  too  hard  the  piece  may  break, 
although  in  antique  work  if  the  edges  of  the  cut- 
out design  are  more  or  less  irregular  it  makes  the 
piece  so  much  more  effective. 

In  preparing  any  article  for  color  inlay  work, 


Fig.  73 — Vase  with  Elaborate  Color  Design — Executed 
by  the  Author 

which  has  been  modeled  and  built  up  on  wire 
forms  as  explained  in  Chapters  I.  and  II.,  such 
as  a  vase  or  other  piece,  as  illustrated  in  Fig.  73, 
the  design  must  be  cut  out  previous  to  the  inlaying 
of  the  colors  exactly  as  has  been  just  described  for 
antique  relief  work. 

If,  however,  the  piece  to  be  inlaid  is  to  be  made 


92       Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

in  a  mold  as  described  in  Chapters  III.  and  IV., 
the  mold  can  be  prepared  to  form  the  desired 
depression,  in  which  case  the  design  will  be  cast 
in  the  piece.  For  complicated  designs  of  this 
character  a  clay  model  must  be  provided  from 
which  the  plaster  mold  is  made.  But  in  simple 
designs  such  as  illustrated  the  piece  which  is  to 
form  the  recess  can  be  attached  to  the  inside  of 
the  outside  mold  as  shown  in  Fig.  75.  This  can 
be  made  of  wood  and  can  be  secured  in  place  by 


Fig.  74 — Pompeian  Vase — Executed  by  L'Ibal  &  Co. 

brads.  It  should  be  located  in  the  proper  posi- 
tion and  should  be  of  the  exact  size  and  shape  of 
the  outline  of  the  design  and  at  least  l/&  of  an 
inch  thick.  Shellac  and  oil  the  piece  well  before 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture      93 

pouring  the  cement  and  allow  a  good  bevel  or 
draft  on  all  of  the  edges  so  that  it  will  draw  out 
easily  from  the  cast  and  thus  leave  a  good,  clean, 
sharp  edge  to  the  cavity  into  which  to  lay  the 
colored  cements. 

A  great  many  attempts  have  been  made  to  pro- 
duce satisfactory  color  work  in  cement,  but  until 


Fig.  75 — Mold  for  Forming  the  Recess  and  Steps  in  Laying 
the  Colored  Cements 

of  late  these  attempts'  have  been  most  unsatisfac- 
tory. This  was  largely  due  to  the  fact  that  ordi- 
nary Portland  cement  is  of  a  gray  color  and  on 
mixing  it  with  the  various  color  pigments  the 
result  was  a  decidedly  dirty  or  dead  tint  of  the 
color  used,  similar  to  that  which  would  be  pro- 
duced in  water  colors  by  mixing  them  with  water 
which  had  already  been  discolored  by  India  ink 


94      Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

or  lampblack.  Another  cause  of  unsatisfactory 
results  along  these  lines  was  the  fact  that  many 
of  those  who  experimented  did  not  use  the  proper 
color  pigments,  the  result  being  that  the  colors 
faded  out  on  exposure  to  the  weather.  The  first 
cause  of  not  being  able  to  produce  true  tints  can 
now  be  overcome  by  the  fact  that  a  really  true 
white  Portland  cement  is  being  manufactured. 
This  now  can  be  procured  from  almost  any 
cement  dealer.  By  using  this  as  a  base  with  which 
to  mix  the  pigments,  true,  clear  colors  can  be 
obtained,  and  by  the  use  of  nothing  but  good 
mineral  pigments,  known  as  lime  or  cement-proof 
colors,  it  is  possible  to  produce  shades  which  will 
be  absolutely  permanent. 

The  writer  has  experimented  largely  with  color- 
ing matters  from  this  country  as  well  as  from 
abroad.  Many  of  the  coloring  matters  obtained 
from  abroad  are  very  good,  but  their  cost  is 
naturally  higher  than  those  which  are  made  in 
this  country. 

As  before  stated,  mineral  colors  are  those 
which  give  the  best  and  most  permanent  results. 
They  all  come  in  powdered  form  and  should  be 
mixed  with  the  dry  cement  and  marble  dust  or 
white  sand,  as  the  case  may  be,  until  the  whole 
mass  is  of  a  uniform  tint  throughout.  After 
having  mixed  them  as  above,  water  should  be 
added  and  the  whole  mixed  into  a  mortar. 

The  following  pigments,  which  can  be  pro- 
cured from  almost  any  of  the  large  manufacturers 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture      95 

or  dealers  in  dry  colors,  will  give  satisfactory  and 
permanent  results: 

Dry  Pigments  Resulting  Color 

Red  oxide  of  iron  / 

AT        .  }•  .............  Ked 

Venetian  red  ) 

White  Portland  cement  ........  White 

Ultramarine  blue   )  r,, 

„..       ,.      ..        t    ............  blue 

Oxide  or  cobalt      ) 

Chromate  of  lead  )  Y  11 

Yellow  ocher  j 

Chrome  oxide  of  copper  )  \  Green,  light 

Carbonate  of  copper         (  }  Green,  dark 


Black  or  Gray 

v  (acco,  ding  to  quantity 
Black  oxide  of  copper  )  used.) 

Ordinary  Portland  cement  .......  Gray 

Burnt  umber  .................  Brown 

The  amount  of  coloring  matter  to  use  in  pro- 
portion to  the  cement  depends  entirely  upon  the 
depth  or  shade  of  the  color  desired.  By  mixing 
up  small  specimens  of  the  color  with  various 
proportions  of  cement  and  making  small  test 
pieces  of  mortar  and  then  noting  the  color  of 
these  after  they  have  dried  out,  one  can  readily 
determine  the  proper  amount  of  coloring  matter 
to  use.  It  is  always  better  to  weigh  the  amount 
of  pigment  used  rather  than  to  judge  the  amount 
by  bulk,  for  by  weighing  a  much  more  uniform 
result  can  be  obtained. 


<)6       Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

For  ornamental  work  where  a  wide  range  of 
colors  is  desired  they  can  be  procured  by  the  same 
means  as  is  used  in  water  or  oil  color  painting; 
that  is,  by  mixing  together  the  three  primary 
colors,  which  are  red,  yellow,  and  blue.  From 
these  three  colors  can  be  obtained  every  color  or 
tone  that  may  be  required.  Thus  blue  mixed  with 
yellow  produces  green;  blue  mixed  with  red  pro- 
duces violet,  and  red  mixed  with  yellow  produces 
orange,  etc.  In  combining  the  coloring  matters, 
always  do  so  while  they  are  in  a  dry  state  and 
thoroughly  mix  or  grind  them  together  before 
adding  them  to  the  white  cement. 

The  method  of  laying  these  colored  cement 
mortars  in  the  design  is  as  follows :  First,  enough 
water  must  be  added  to  the  dry  mass  to  allow  it 
to  be  mixed  to  the  consistency  of  a  thin  paste. 
Then  the  design,  which  has  already  been  cut  out 
as  previously  explained,  should  be  thoroughly  wet 
down  by  sprinkling  with  a  wet  brush. 

If  a  varicolored  design  is  to  be  inlaid,  it  is 
always  well  to  lay  in  all  of  one  color  at  the  same 
time,  as  is  illustrated  in  Fig.  75.  In  this  case  we 
have  figures  A,  B  and  C  which  are  to  contain  the 
colors  red,  blue,  and  black,  as  indicated.  First, 
with  the  aid  of  a  blade  of  a  penknife  or  any  other 
handy  tool  according  to  the  size  of  the  work,  lay 
the  red  cement  in  the  design  A  as  shown  at  D  by 
the  dotted  lines.  Let  it  come  level  with  or  even 
a  trifle  higher  than  the  face  or  body  of  the  vase 
or  piece  which  is  being  inlaid;  also  let  the  colored 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture       97 


'cement  project  beyond  its  position  in  the  finished 
design  as  indicated  by  the  dotted  lines.  Now  turn 
the  vase  around,  and  lay  the  red  cement  in  the 
designs  B  and  C,  letting  it  project  beyond  its  posi- 
tion as  was  done  in  the  design  A.  The  red  cement 
which  has  been  laid  in  the  design  A  will  now  be 
•set  enough  so  that  a  straightedge  made  of  a 


Pig.  76 — A  Good  Example  of  Colored  Concrete  Work — 
Executed  by  the  Author 

flexible  piece  of  wood;  or  other  material  such  as 
cardboard,  can  be  placed  over  it  in  the  position  of 
the  finished  design  as  indicated  at  D  by  the  dotted 
lines. 

The  sharp  edge  of  a  knife  can  now  be  used  to 
cut  away  the  surplus  cement  which  projects  beyond 
the  edge  of  the  straightedge.  In  cutting  away 
the  surplus  cement  always  cut  away  from  the 


98       Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

finished  design.  Proceed  to  cut  away  all  other 
surplus  cement  from  the  other  three  sides  of  the 
design  as  just  described  and  then  in  turn  treat  the 
designs  B  and  C  in  the  same  manner.  Now  lay 
in  the  blue  cement  in  all  of  the  designs  in  a  similar 
manner  and  then  the  black  cement.  If  by  chance 
any  of  the  colored  cements  have  gone  beyond  the 
designs  and  onto  the  face  of  the  vase,  scrape  them 


Fig.  77 — Small  Articles  such  as  Fern- Jars,  Pin-holders  and  Ash 

Receivers  of  Concrete  make  Attractive  Ornaments — 

Executed  by  J.  C.  Kraus 

off  before  they  harden  and  then  with  the  back  of 
the  blade  of  the  knife,  which  is  more  or  less  blunt, 
run  around  the  outline  of  the  designs  as  well  as 
between  the  colors,  using  a  straight  edge  as  a 
guide.  By  doing  this  a  distinct  parting  line  is 
produced  between  each  color  and  a  better  effect 
can  be  obtained. 

The  colored  cements  wrhich  have  just  been 
inlaid  must,  of  course,  be  cured  so  as  to  harden 
them  up.  This  is  done  by  sprinkling  them  with 
water  as  explained  in  previous  chapters. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE  SELECTION  OF  AGGREGATES  AND  THE  PREPA- 
RATION OF  THE  MIXTURE 

In  the  previous  chapters  nothing  much  has  been 
said  in  detail  in  regard  to  the  numerous  and 
various  materials  which  can  be  used  with  which 
to  make  concrete,  such  as  the  different  kinds  of 
stones,  pebbles,  etc.  Nor  has  anything  been  said 
in  regard  to  the  quantity  of  each  ingredient  neces- 
sary to  make  a  fixed  amount  of  finished  material. 

Concrete  is  made  by  mixing  together  with  water 
various  proportions  of  Portland  cement,  sand, 
and  stone.  The  sand  and  stone  which  go  to  make 
part  of  the  mixture  are  commonly  known  as 
aggregates.  It  is  by  the  careful  selection  of  these 
aggregates  that  we  are  able  to  produce  numerous 
pleasing  and  artistic  results. 

In  many  cases,  if  the  proper  aggregates  are 
used  in  the  right  proportion,  natural  stones  such 
as  limestone,  granite  of  all  colors,  brownstone, 
and  French  Caen  stone,  etc.,  can  be  so  closely 
simulated  that  it  takes  an  expert  to  tell  it  from 
the  real  material. 

The  ordinary  concrete  or  cement  surface  as 
usually  seen  is  most  uninteresting  in  appearance. 
As  a  general  thing,  it  is  smooth  and  lifeless  and 
of  a  dull  gray  color.  The  same  general  appear- 
ance as  just  described  for  ordinary  concrete  will 


ioo    Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

prevail  in  almost  any  concrete  surface,  no  matter 
what  the  aggregate  used,  unless  the  surface  is 
treated  so  as  to  expose  or  bring  out  the  aggre- 
gates used.  If,  however,  the  surfaces  of  the 
concrete  in  which  selected  aggregates  have  been 
used  are  properly  treated,  a  marked  difference 
between  these  surfaces  and  those  obtained  with 


Fig.  78 — Showing  Texture  obtained  by  using  Selected  Aggregates 

ordinary  mixtures  will  be  noted.  By  varying  the 
kind,  size,  and  proportions  of  the  aggregate  used, 
surface  finishes  of  practically  any  desired  color 
and  texture  can  be  obtained,  the  possibilities  being 
limited  only  by  the  number  of  different  kinds  of 
aggregates  available  and  the  combinations  of  the 
same. 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture     101 

In  small  work,  that  is,  where  the  thickness  of 
the  finished  product  is  to  be  l/2  inch  or  less,  never 
use  any  aggregate  exceeding  l/8  inch  in  size,  espe- 
cially so  if  the  mixture  is  to  be  made  thin  enough 
to  pour.  In  larger  work  having  a  thickness  of  i 
inch  or  more,  aggregates  up  to  j4  of  an  mcn  can 
be  used  with  good  results. 

Some  interesting  textures  for  pottery  work  can 
be  obtained  from  the  following  mixtures: 

A  mixture  composed  of  i  part  white  marble 
chips,  not  exceeding  *4  inch  in  size,  and  i  part  of 
trap  rock  or  other  dark  stone  of  the  same  size 
mixed  with  i  part  of  Portland  cement  and  i  part 
of  marble  dust  will  produce  a  surface  similar  in 
appearance  to  a  light  granite.  This  mixture 
should  be  allowed  to  set  for  twelve  hours  after 
pouring,  then  the  molds  should  be  carefully  re- 
moved, as  the  concrete  is  still  green,  and  the 
surface  of  the  concrete  should  be  lightly  brushed 
with  a  stiff  brush. 

As  the  concrete  is  not  thoroughly  set  or  hard- 
ened yet,  this  operation  will  remove  the  surface 
cement,  and  thus  expose  the  aggregates  of  marble 
and  trap  rock.  After  having  performed  the 
above  operation,  allow  the  piece  to  harden  a  few 
days,  and  then  treat  the  surface  with  a  solution 
composed  of  i  part  of  commercial  muriatic  or 
hydrochloric  acid  to  3  parts  of  water.  Dash  this 
solution  onto  the  face  of  the  concrete  surface  with 
a  brush,  and  allow  it  to  remain  for  at  least  fifteen 
minutes.  Then  thoroughly  scrub  it  off  with  a 


IO2     Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

good  stiff  brush  and  plenty  of  clean  water.  This 
operation  will  remove  all  of  the  surplus  cement, 
and  will  leave  a  good  clean  surface  full  of  life 
and  sparkle.  Instead  of  using  white  marble  chips 


Fig.  79— Concrete  Urn  made  with  White  Marble  Dust 
and  Portland  Cement — Executed  by  L'Ibal  &  Co. 

and  granite,  as  above,  one  can  vary  the  results  by 
using  white  marble  chips  and  crushed-up  red 
brick;  or  various  colored  marbles  crushed  to  the 
proper  size  can  be  used,  and  then  by  treating  the 
surfaces  as  explained,  the  colors  in  the  various 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture     103 

aggregates  will  be  exposed,  thus  producing  some 
very  interesting  surfaces. 

A  good  light-colored  surface  somewhat  simu- 
lating limestone  can  be  procured  by  using  i  part 
Portland  cement  to  2  or  3  parts  of  white  marble 
dust.  After  this  has  become  thoroughly  hard, 
treat  it  with  acid  as  described  above.  The  acid 
will  eat  off  any  surface  cement,  and  thus  the 
marble  dust  will  be  exposed,  producing  a  pleasing 
sparkle  throughout  the  entire  surface.  To  simu- 
late white  marble,  use  i  part  white  Portland 
cement  to  2  parts  of  marble  dust,  and  treat  sur- 
face with  acid  as  described. 

By  incorporating  in  the  above  mixture  a  small 
amount  of  yellow  ocher  a  pleasing  buff  tint  will  be 
given  to  the  mass,  which  will  then  very  closely 
resemble  French  Caen  stone.  To  simulate  red 
granite,  use  red  granite  chips  or  screenings. 
These  can  be  procured  at  almost  any  stone  yard 
where  they  cut  granite.  The'  pieces  to  use  should 
range  in  size  from  y\  inch  down  to  dust.  If  the 
pieces  available  are  too  large,  they  can  be  crushed 
up  with  a  hammer.  The  proportions  of  the  mix- 
ture should  be  i  part  of  Portland  cement  to  2 
parts  of  the  granite.  After  having  set  for  twelve 
hours,  brush  the  surface  out  and  treat  it  with  acid 
as  already  explained,  and  the  surface  thus  ob- 
tained will  very  closely  resemble  the  real  red 
granite.  From  the  above  details  the  reader  will 
have  grasped  the  possibilities  to  be  obtained  by 
the  selection  of  aggregates,  and  now  by  using  a 


IO4    Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

little  ingenuity  can  without  further  instruction 
experiment  along  original  lines,  which  will  be 
found  most  fascinating  work. 

In  regard  to  the  amount  of  the  various  ingredi- 
ents to  use  for  a  fixed  amount  of  finished  material, 
the  uninitiated  often  think,  and  naturally  so,  that 


Fig.  80 — Large  Flower  Box,  finished  with  Antique  Stone  Effect — 

Size  of  Box  24  in.  high  by  25  in.  wide  by  41  in.  long,  Legs 

15  in.  high— Executed  by  Erkins  Studios 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture     105 

if  an  amount  of  finished  material  equal  in  bulk  to 
three  glassfuls  is  required,  all  that  is  necessary  to 
do,  if  it  be  a  i  to  2  mixture,  is  to  take  one  glass- 
ful of  cement  and  two  glassfuls  of  sand,  and  then 
by  mixing  these  together  they  will  still  have  an 
amount  of  material  that  will  fill  three  glasses. 
This  is  not  so.  The  particles  of  cement  are 
ground  so  fine  that  the  cement  is  practically  one 
dense  mass;  but  the  particles  of  sand  are  coarser, 
and  between  each  of  the  particles  appears  a  space 
or  cavity.  These  cavities  are  called  voids,  and 
it  is  in  these  voids  that  the  larger  portion  of 
the  cement  finds  its  place  when  the  mass  is  mixed. 
As  the  majority  of  sands  used  in  concrete  work 
contain  from  25  per  cent  to  40  per  cent  of  voids 
(we  will  take  the  larger  figure  for  an  example), 
it  is  plain  then  that  each  glass  of  sand  contains 
about  40  per  cent  of  voids.  Therefore  in  two 
glassfuls  of  sand  we  will  have  80  per  cent  of  one 
glassful  of  voids.  As  we  only  have  one  glassful  of 
cement  to  add  to  the  two  glassfuls  of  sand,  and  as 
the  cement  fills  the  80  per  cent  of  voids  in  the  sand, 
it  is  plain  that  we  have  but  20  per  cent  left  upon 
which  we  can  figure  for  bulk.  Therefore,  instead 
of  having  three  glassfuls  of  material,  as  one  might 
naturally  think,  we  will  only  have  two  glassfuls 
and  20  per  cent  of  one  glassful  over,  or  two  and 
one-fifth  glassfuls  of  finished  material.  The  per- 
centage of  voids  varies  largely  in  different  grades 
of  sands.  The  finer  the  particles  of  which  the 
sand  is  made  up,  the  smaller  the  percentage  of 


106    Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

voids.  It  is  always  best  to  use  sand  in  which  the 
particles  are  not  uniform  in  size,  or  in  other 
words,  use  what  is  commonly  termed  a  well- 
graded  sand.  By  this  is  meant  a  sand  in  which  the 


Fig.  81 — Concrete  Flower  Box  made  with  Selected  Aggregates 
and  Inlaid  with  Tile — Executed  by  Albert  Moyer 

particles  vary  in  size  say  from  1/32  inch  or 
smaller  up  to  1/16  inch  or  a  trifle  larger.  The 
heavier  the  work,  the  coarser  the  sand  that  can 
be  used.  Be  sure  that  the  sand  used  is  clean.  By 
clean  sand  is  meant  sand  that  is  free  from  loam 
or  clay.  One  can  readily  detect  dirty  sand  by 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture     107 

placing  same  in  the  palm  of  the  hand  and 
slightly  wetting  it.  Then  if  by  rubbing  it  around 
the  hand  becomes  discolored,  there  is  more  or 
less  dirt  in  the  sand.  A  little  dirt  will  not  do 
much  harm,  but  it  is  always  well  to  have  it  per- 


Fig.  81a — Concrete  Flower  Box  made  with  Selected  Aggregates 
and  Inlaid  with  Tile— Executed  by  Albert  Moyer 

fectly  clean.  It  is  often  found  necessary  to  wash 
the  dirt  out  of  sand  by  means  of  water.  This 
can  be  done  by  placing  the  sand  in  a  pail  of 
water  and  agitating  it,  thus  making  the  dirt  rise 
to  the  top.  To  thoroughly  wash  the  sand,  keep 


io8     Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

running  the  water  into  the  pail  and  agitating  the 
sand  until  the  water  discharged  is  practically  clear. 

When  using  a  stone  aggregate  in  the  mixture, 
the  spaces  or  voids  between  the  particles  of  stone 
are  filled  by  the  cement  and  sand  in  the  mixture, 
as  were  the  voids  in  the  sand  filled  by  the  cement. 
As  in  sand,  the  larger  the  particles  of  stone  used, 
the  greater  the  percentage  of  voids  in  it  will  be. 
Therefore  a  greater  amount  of  sand  and  cement 
will  be  required  to  fill  them. 

By  a  little  experimenting  along  these  lines,  one 
will  become  experienced  enough  to  judge  fairly 
closely  the  amount  of  each  ingredient  to  use  in 
mixing  up  any  amount  of  finished  material 
needed.  It  is  always  well  to  mix  a  trifle  more 
material  than  is  needed  rather  than  not  enough. 
For  when  one  once  starts  pouring  a  cast,  they 
should  continue  to  pour  until  the  mold  is  full.  If 
not,  a  mark  is  very  apt  to  show  in  the  finished 
cast  where  pouring  was  left  off  and  started  again. 
Never  try  to  use  any  material  that  has  been  mixed 
and  let  stand  for  more  than  half  an  hour.  For 
in  this  time  the  concrete  will  have  commenced  to 
get  what  is  called  its  initial  set.  If  the  mass  is 
now  disturbed  and  worked  up  again,  the  product 
produced  will  never  have  the  same  strength  as 
one  made  with  freshly-mixed  material.  In  mixing, 
always  mix  the  cement  and  sand  together  thor- 
oughly before  adding  the  water.  One  can  judge 
by  the  color  of  the  mass,  fairly  well,  as  to  whether 
the  mixing  is  complete.  If  the  color  is  uniform 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture    109 

throughout,  it  is  a  pretty  good  sign  that  the  aggre- 
gates are  well  distributed  through  the  mass. 
When  making  a  mixture  containing  cement,  sandj 
and  stone,  always  mix  the  cement  and  sand  dry 
first  and  then  add  the  stone,  which  has  previously 
been  well  soaked  in  water.  In  this  way  one  is 
assured  of  having  each  stone  coated  with  the 
cement  and  sand:  for  as  soon  as  the  damp  stone 
comes  in  contact  with  the  dry  cement  and  sand,  it 
adheres  to  them  and  covers  the  stones  completely; 
thus  a  compact  matrix  of  cement  and  sand  is 
formed  between  each  and  every  particle  of  stone, 
and  binds  them  securely  together  into  a  dense  and 
compact  mass. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

WOODEN  MOLDS 

The  accompanying  illustrations  show  some  in- 
teresting examples  of  decorative  flower  pots. 
These  look  as  though  they  were  difficult  to  pro- 
duce, but  they  are  easy  to  make  when  one  knows 
how.  The  first  thing  to  do  is  to  prepare  a  mold. 
Figs.  83,  84,  and  85  show  detail  drawings  of  a 
wooden  mold  for  a  flower  pot  9  inches  square  by 
10  inches  high,  and  Figs.  86  and  87  show  half-tone 
illustrations  of  a  wooden  mold  for  a  pot  14  inches 


Fig.  82 — Good  Examples  of  Hand  Modeled  Vases,  Inlaid  with 
Hand  Made  Moravian  Tile— Executed  by  Frank  Nahodyl 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture    in 

square  by  18  inches  high.  It  will  be  noticed  that 
the  cores  in  both  of  these  cases  are  different.  The 
collapsible  core,  shown  in  Fig.  84,  is  undoubtedly 
the  best,  as  there  is  less  fear  of  breaking  the  cast 
when  removing  it.  It  takes  a  trifle  longer  to 
make,  but  in  the  end  it  will  pay.  After  complet- 


Median  through  &,B. 
Fig.  83 — The  Outside  Form  of  the  Flower  Pot  Mold 

ing  the  mold,  the  concrete  mixture  should  be  made 
up.  It  should  consist  of  i  part  Portland  cement 
and  from  2  to  3  parts  of  sand  or  marble  dust. 
These  should  be  mixed  together  dry  as  previously 
explained,  and  enough  water  added  to  make  it  of 


ii2     Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 


the  consistency  of  a  thin  putty  or  heavy  cream. 
The  next  operation  after  mixing  is  the  placing  of 
this  plastic  mass  into  the  mold.  This  is  done  as 
follows:  First  fill  the  mold  solid  up  to  a  level 
with  the  bottom  of  the  core,  pack  the  cement 
down  well,  and  then  place  the  core  box  in  position, 


c 

1 

1 

1 

\J 

7ZZ2ZZZZ 

Fig.  84— Details  of  the  Core  Box 

as  shown  is  Figs.  85  and  86.  Be  sure  that  it  is 
centered  in  the  box.  This  is  important,  for  if  the 
core  is  not  exactly  in  the  center,  the  sides  of  the 
pot  will  not  be  of  equal  thickness. 

A  good  way  to  center  and  secure  the  core  in 
position  is  to  nail  a  strip  of  wood  to  it,  and  in 
turn  nail  the  ends  of  this  strip  to  the  top  of  the 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture    113 

outside  form,  as  shown  in  Figs.  85  and  86.  After 
the  mold  has  been  placed  and  secured  as  above, 
fill  the  rest  of  the  mold  with  the  plastic  concrete. 
When  the  mixture  reaches  the  top  of  the  mold 


.TiUheld  inplax 
VitA  string 


faction 
Fig.  85— The  Mold  Assembled  for  the  Placing  of  the  Concrete 

smooth  it  off  nicely,  and  set  the  mold  and  its  con- 
tents on  a  level  place  to  let  the  concrete  set  or 
harden.  In  about  twelve  hours  from  the  time  of 
pouring  (do  not  let  it  be  longer  than  this,  for  if 
so  the  concrete  will  be  too  hard  for  treatment) 
the  concrete  will  be  sufficiently  hard  to  remove 


114     Concrete  Potter\  and  Garden  Furniture 

the  molds.  This  should  be  done  carefully,  in 
order  not  to  break  the  corners,  as  the  concrete  is 
yet  more  or  less  soft.  In  removing  the  mold,  take 


Fig.  86— Mold  Assembled— Front  Side  of  Outer  Mold  off 
to  Show  Core  Box 

the  core  out  first.  To  do  this,  first  remove  the 
small  strips  a  and  /?,  which  have  been  nailed  from 
the  inside,  as  indicated  in  Fig.  84.  On  removing 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture     1 1 5 

these  strips,  the  V-shaped  sections  c  will  be  re- 
leased from  the  sections  d  and  *?,  and  can  then  be 
forced  toward  the  center  of  the  pot  and  drawn 
out.  After  these  V-shaped  sections  have  been 


Fig.  87 — Showing  Separate  Pieces  of  Mold 

removed,  the  sides  /  will  be  free,  and  can  be 
collapsed  toward  the  center  of  the  box  and  in  turn 
can  be  removed.  The  bottom,  which  is  made  in 
two  pieces,  as  shown,  will  then  release  itself 
freely.  It  would  be  well  to  grease  the  outer  part 
of  the  core  before  placing  the  concrete,  as  this 


ii6    Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

will  allow  of  the  core  being  released  more  readily 
than  if  it  were  not  done.  If  a  solid  core  is  used, 
as  indicated  in  Fig.  86,  a  direct  pull  must  be  given 
to  remove  it  from  the  cast.  The  best  way  to 
remove  a  core  of  this  kind  is  shown  in  Fig.  88.  In 
Fig.  89  is  shown  an  illustration  of  the  cast  after  it 
has  been  removed  from  the  mold.  The  outline 
of  a  design  has  been  drawn  on  it,  and  the  modeler 


Fig.  88— Method  of  Removing  Solid  Core  from  Concrete  Cast 

is  just  starting  to  cut  the  design  out.  As  the  con- 
crete is  still  in  a  soft  state,  this  can  be  readily 
done  by  scraping  the  surface  with  steel  tools  of 
the  proper  shape.  Fig.  90  shows  the  piece  after 
the  modeling  is  practically  finished.  The  modeler 
is  shown  here  in  the  act  of  touching  up  some  of 
the  finer  detail.  Fig.  82  shows  two  pots  cast  in 
the  same  mold  as  described  above.  These  pots 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture     117 

are  also  modeled  by  hand,  after  being  taken  from 
the  mold,  but  in  addition  to  the  modeling  they  are 
also  embellished  with  hand-made  Moravian  tile. 
There  are  various  methods  employed  for  insert- 
ing these  tiles  in  the  outer  surfaces  of  the  pots. 


Fig.  89 — Cast  of  Box  after  being  Removed  from  Mold 


Il8    Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

A  simple  method  for  doing  this  is  to  place  in  the 
inner  surface  of  the  outer  mold  a  negative  mold. 
This  negative  mold  is  made  of  wood  and  should 
be  of  the  exact  shape,  but  a  trifle  larger  in  size 
than  that  of  the  tile  which  is  to  be  inserted. 


Fig.  90 — Cast  of  Box  after  Modeling  is  Complete 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture     119 

These  negative  molds  can  be  nailed  in  the  desired 
position  to  the  inside  of  the  outer  mold,  and  then 
on  drawing  or  stripping  the  outer  mold  from  the 
cast,  a  cavity  will  be  left  in  the  outer  surface  o£ 
the  pot,  into  which  the  tiles  can  be  cemented  in 
place. 

Another  method  of  placing  the  tiles  in  place  is 


Fig.  91— Hand  Modeled  Vases— Executed  in  Dark  Green 
Cement  by  Frank  Nahodyl 

to  bore  small  holes  through  the  outer  forms,  and 
secure  the  tiles  in  their  proper  position  on  the 
inside  of  the  outer  forms  by  tying  them  in  place 
by  string  as  indicated  in  Fig.  85,  care  being  taken 
to  see  that  the  ornate  side  of  the  tile  is  placed  next 
to  the  wood.  The  concrete  is  then  poured  the 
same  as  though  an  unornamented  pot  was  being 
cast.  Before  removing  the  outer  forms  in  this 


I2O    Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

case,  however,  the  strings  which  hold  the  tile  in 
place  should  be  cut.  This  is  perhaps  an  easier 
method  of  placing  the  tile  than  that  of  making  a 
negative  mold.  But  in  some  cases  it  is  hard  to- 


Fig.  92 — Vase  made  with  White  Marble  Chips  and  Trap  Rock 
inlaid  with  Moravian  Tile — Executed  by  Albert  Mover 


get  the  plastic  concrete  to  flow  completely  around 
the  tile.  If  in  removing  the  forms,  however,  it  is 
found  that  there  are  some  places  where  the  con- 
crete has  not  run  up  to  the  tile,  these  holes  or 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture    121 

voids  as  they  are  called  can  be  filled  in  or  pointed 
up  with  cement  mortar.  This  method  of  making 
pots  or  vases  will  be  found  most  interesting,  as  it 
is  suggestive  of  an  unlimited  number  of  designs 
and  combinations,  each  of  which  will  contain 
more  or  less  individuality, 


CHAPTER  X. 

GARDEN     FURNITURE CONCRETE     PEDESTALS 

Sun  dials,  statuettes,  and  vases  mounted  on 
ornamental  pedestals  add  greatly  to  the  pictur- 
•esqueness  of  the  modern  garden.  These  pedes- 


Fig.  93  -  Concrete  Pedestal — Executed  hy  the  Author 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture     123 

tals  are  made  in  numerous  designs  and  of  various 
materials,   such   as  stone,   marble,   and  concrete. 


Fig.  94 — Outline  Sketch,  Showing-  Dimensions 

The  accompanying  half-tone  illustration,  Fig.  93, 
shows  a  pedestal  made  of  white  Portland  cement. 


124    Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

It  is  of  simple  design,  and  one  which  lends  itself 
nicely  to  the  material,  inasmuch  as  the  forms  in 


20°  


'  x#«?/  rods 


Fig.  95— Detail  of  Base  Mold 

which  to  cast  it  are  easily  made.  Fig.  94  is  an 
outline  sketch  of  the  pedestal,  in  which  are  given 
its  general  dimensions,  and  Figs.  95,  97,  98,  100, 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture    125 


126     Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 


and  102  show  details  of  the  molds  in  which  it  is 
cast.  Fig.  96  shows  the  various  parts  of  the  mold 
before  assembling.  Fig.  99  shows  the  shaft  mold 


sMoulctincr 


-Moulding 


£.      - 


Fig.  97— Detail  of  Cap  Mold 

assembled  in  position  ready  to  pour,  and  Fig.  101 
shows  the  three  finished  pieces  of  the  pedestal 
before  setting  them  up. 

The  molds  should  all  be  made  of  i-inch  lum- 
ber, and  the  dimensions  given  should  be  followed 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture     127 


closely.    The  base  mold  shown  in  Fig.  95  consists 
of  nothing  more  or  less  than  a  square  box  with 

4ttach  to  eafh  tide  of  mould  fir  recess 

« IS"  > 


L^an  each  side 
to  allow  of 
1' lapjbr sides 


[  B' 


Fig.  98— Detail  of  Main  Part  of  Shaft  Mold 

sides  5  inches  high.  In  the  center  of  the  bottom 
of  this  box  is  placed  a  tapered  core,  so  as  to  pro- 
duce a  hole  in  the  cast  to  correspond  in  size  to- 


128     Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

the  outside  dimensions  of  the  plug  on  the  bottom 
of  the  shaft  of  the  pedestal,  as  shown  in  Fig.  101. 
The  mold  for  the  top  or  cap  of  the  pedestal  is 


Fig.  99 — Shaft  Mold  Assembled  and  in  Position 
Ready  to  Pour 

shown  in  Fig.  97.  This  like  the  base  mold  is 
merely  a  square  box.  It  is  4  inches  deep,  and  a 
^-inch  tapered  plug  is  placed  in  the  center  of  its 
bottom  as  shown,  in  order  to  produce  a  ^ -inch 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture     129 


hole  in  the  bottom  of  the  cap  in  which  to  insert 
the  ^4-inch  reinforcing  rod,  which  passes  through 
the  entire  length  of  the  shaft,  as  shown  in  the 
assembled  drawing,  Fig.  102.  Strips  of  2-inch 
quarter-round  stock  molding  mitered  at  the  cor- 
ners, as  shown,  are  placed  in  the  bottom  of  this 


*-          -//?- 


-IF-         -w  *-      -10-          -4 

Fig.  100 — Details  of  Parts  "  B"  and  "  C  "  of  Shaft  Mold 

mold  in  order  to  give  the  desired  outline  to  the 
lower  portion  of  the  cap.  The  main  shaft  mold 
is  made  in  three  pieces,  as  shown  in  Fig.  102.  Fig. 
98  shows  the  details  of  the  sides  of  the  main  part 
of  the  shaft  mold.  The  recessed  panels  shown 
in  the  sides  of  the  pedestal  in  Fig.  93  can  either  be 


130     Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture    131 

cast  in  or  it  can  be  tooled  out,  after  the  pedestal 
has  been  cast,  by  means  of  chipping  with  a  ham- 


Fig.  102 — Showing  Assembled  Moid  in  which 
to  Cast  Shaft 

mer  and   chisel.      If  it   is  desired  to   cast  it   in, 
rather  than  to  tool  it  out,  a  panel  or  negative 


132     Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

mold,  as  shown  at  C,  Fig.  98,  should  be  attached 
to  the  inner  side  of  each  side  of  the  shaft  mold 
as  shown.  The  edges  of  this  negative  mold  for 
the  panel  should  be  beveled  off  as  indicated  in  the 
sectional  drawing,  so  as  to  allow  it  to  be  released 
readily  from  the  cast  when  removing  the  forms. 
Details  of  parts  B  and  C  of  the  shaft  mold  are 
shown  in  Fig.  100.  Part  B  is  a  bottomless  box  10 
inches  square  on  the  inside,  \vith  sides  6  inches 
high,  and  in  it  are  secured,  on  all  four  sides,  and 
mitered  at  the  corners  as  shown,  pieces  of  2-inch 
quarter-round  stock  molding.  These  are  securely 
fastened  to  the  sides  i  inch  from  the  top.  Part  C 
of  the  mold  is  made  of  four  pieces  of  i-inch 
board  as  shown,  on  which  is  built  up  the  cone 
which  forms  the  lug  on  the  bottom  of  the  shaft. 
Part  A  of  the  mold  at  its  top  should  have  secured 
to  it,  on  all  four  sides,  pieces  of  2-inch  by  i-inch 
tapered  strips,  as  shown  by  the  shaded  portion  at 
d  in  Fig.  102.  The  outside  dimensions  of  these 
strips  should  be  such  that  the  inner  portion  of 
part  B  fits  over  them  snugly. 

The  bottom  of  part  A  of  the  mold  should  have 
a  9/1 6-inch  hole  ]/2  inch  deep  bored  in  its  center 
in  which  to  place  the  j/-inch  steel  reinforcing  rod, 
as  shown.  After  having  completed  the  various 
parts  of  the  mold  as  described  above,  sandpaper 
the  inner  surfaces  of  them  and  give  them  two  coats 
cf  shellac;  let  this  dry  thoroughly,  and  then  oil 
the  inside  surface  well  with  a  fairly  thin  oil.  Now 
assemble  the  shaft  mold,  letting  section  A  stand 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture     133 


Fig.  103— Showing  Pedestal  with  Relief  Design— Executed 
by  the  Rowley  Studios 


134    Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

on  end,  as  shown  in  Fig.  102.  Place  section  B  in 
position  as  shown,  care  being  taken  to  let  the 
quarter-round  molding  rest  snugly  down  on  the 
pieces  d  of  section  A.  Then  place  the  steel  rod 
in  position,  and  commence  to  deposit  the  concrete 
mixture.  If  a  white  shaft  is  desired,  use  one  part 
of  white  Portland  cement  and  two  parts  of 
white  marble  screenings  ranging  in  size  from 
dust  up  to  %  inch.  Mix  these  together  dry,  and 
then  add  enough  water  to  make  a  fairly  thick 
paste.  Fill  the  mold  flush  with  the  top  of  part  B, 
tapping  the  sides  and  jarring  part  A  of  the  mold 
occasionally  to  settle  the  concrete  mixture  as  it  is 
being  deposited.  When  the  concrete  is  flush  with 
the  top  of  section  5,  place  section  C  in  position, 
and  proceed  to  fill  it  flush  with  the  top.  Allow 
the  concrete  to  set  or  harden  in  the  molds  for  at 
least  twenty-four  hours  before  attempting  to  re- 
move the  molds.  In  securing  the  molds  together 
use  as  few  nails  as  possible,  and  in  removing  the 
mold  from  the  cast,  great  care  must  be  taken  in 
loosening  them,  so  as  not  to  injure  the  casts.  In 
removing  the  shaft  mold,  take  off  part  C  first, 
then  part  5,  and  finally  section  A.  The  base  and 
cap  molds  should  be  filled  with  the  same  mixture 
as  above,  and  should  also  be  allowed  to  set  for 
at  least  twenty-four  hours  before  removing  the 
forms.  It  would  be  well  to  insert  in  the  base, 
when  casting,  four  pieces  of  ^/2-inch  round  or 
square  steel  reinforcing  bars  placed  as  indicated 
by  the  dotted  lines  in  Fig.  95.  These  will  add 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture    135 

greatly  to  its  strength,  and  will  prevent  it  from 
cracking  in  case  the  foundation,  upon  which  the 
pedestal  is  placed,  is  not  perfectly  true  and  level. 


Fig.  104 — Concrete  Sun  Dial  Pedestal— Executed  by  J.  C.  Kraus 


136     Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden   Furniture 


Fig.  105— Sun  Dial  Pedestal— By  J.  C.  Kraus 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture     137 

If  by  any  chance  the  casts  should  be  injured,  in 
removing  them  from  the  molds,  they  should  be 
well  wet  down  with  water  and  pointed  up  with  a 
mortar  made  of  i  part  white  Portland  cement 
and  I  part  of  marble  dust  mixed  with  enough 
water  to  produce  a  fairly  thick  paste. 

After  having  pointed  up  the  various  parts  of 
the  pedestal  they  should  be  allowed  to  stand  for 
a  short  time,  and  then  all  of  the  pieces  should  be 
well  soaked  with  water  occasionally  every  day  for 
at  least  ten  days.  This  wetting  down  is  known  as 
the  curing  process,  and  it  should  be  well  attended 
to,  as  the  hardness  and  durability  of  the  product 
produced  depend  largely  upon  the  care  taken  in 
properly  curing  the  casts. 

After  the  pieces  have  become  thoroughly  hard- 
ened or  cured  they  can  be  assembled  or  set  up  in 
position,  as  shown  in  Figs.  93  and  94.  The  sur- 
faces of  the  parts  which  are  to  be  joined  together 
should  be  sprinkled  with  water,  and  covered  with 
a  thin  layer  of  cement  mortar  composed  of  I  part 
of  white  Portland  cement  and  i  part  of  marble 
dust.  They  should  be  placed  on  each  other,  and 
worked  around  with'  a  twisting  motion  until 
bedded  in  place.  The  surplus  cement  which  is 
forced  out  at  the  joints  should  then  be  smoothed 
off,  and  the  pieces  allowed  to  set,  without  being 
disturbed,  for  from  one  to  two  days,  in  which 
time  they  will  be  firmly  secured  in  place. 

By  using  the  mixture  of  white  Portland  cement 
and  marble  chips  or  screenings,  as  stated  above,. 


138     Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 


Fig.  106 — Concrete  Sun  Dial  or  Vase  Pedestal— Executed 
by  J.  C.  Kraus 


Concrete  Potter \  and  Garden  Furniture     139 

the  effect  produced  will  resemble  that  of  white 
marble.  If  one  prefers  the  gray  color  of  ordi- 
nary Portland  cement,  the  mixture  used  should 


Fig.  107— Pedestal  and  Vase— By  J.  C.  Kraut 

then  be  composed  of  I  part  Portland  cement  to 
2  parts  of  good  clean  sand  and  2  parts  of  trap 
rock  screenings  or  pebbles  not  to  exceed  l/2  inch 


140    Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

in  size.     If  a  sun  dial  is  to  be  placed  on  the  ped- 
estal, it  need  not  be  cemented  in  place.    They  are 


Fig.  108— Pedestal  and  Vase— Bv  J.  C.  Kraus 

usually  made  of  brass  or  bronze,  and  their  weight 
is  sufficient  to  hold  them  down.     When  placing  a 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture     141 

sun  dial,  always  see  that  its  vane  points  to  the 
north  and  that  the  pedestal  is  placed  in  the  full 
rays  of  the  sun.  It  would  also  be  well  to  prepare 
a  good  solid  foundation  for  the  pedestal  to  rest 


Fig>  109— Vases  and  Pedestals  of  Bold  Design  Lend  Themselves 
Nicely  to  Concrete— Executed  by  Emerson  &  Norris  Co. 


142     Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

on,  for  if  this  is  not  done  it  is  apt  to  settle  as  the 
ground  becomes  soft  in  the  spring  time.  In  fact, 
all  heavy  garden  furniture  should  be  provided 


Fig.  110 — Vase  and  Pedestal — Executed  by  Emerson  &  Norris  Co. 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture     143 

with  good  solid  foundations.  These  foundations 
should  be  from  2  to  3  feet  deep,  and  in  size 
should  correspond  to  the  size  of  the  base  of  the 
piece  which  is  to  rest  upon  them.  To  prepare  a 
foundation  of  this  kind,  all  that  is  necessary  is 
to  dig  a  hole  of  the  desired  size  and  depth  and  to 
fill  it  with  a  mixture  of  I  part  Portland  cement, 
3  parts  of  sand,  and  5  parts  of  broken  stone  or 
gravel.  Add  enough  water  to  this  to  make  it  of 
the  consistency  of  a  thick  pasty  mass.  Tamp  it 
down  well  and  level  it  off  and  allow  it  to  set  or 
harden  for  twenty-four  hours,  in  which  time  the 
piece  can  be  placed  in  position  on  it.  In  Fig.  103 
is  shown  a  pedestal  of  the  same  general  lines  as 
that  shown  in  Fig.  93,  the  design,  however,  being 
somewhat  elaborated.  To  produce  a  pedestal  of 
this  kind  requires  the  incorporation  of  a  plaster 
mold  which  is  of  a  more  complicated  nature  than 
the  mold  described  above.  Numerous  other  de- 
signs of  pedestals  are  shown  herewith,  so  as  to 
give  to  the  reader  some  idea  of  the  wide  possi- 
bilities in  design  which  can  be  obtained  with  con- 
crete. 


CHAPTER  XL 

CONCRETE    BENCHES 

The  accompanying  illustration,  Fig.  111,  shows 
a  concrete  bench  which  is  especially  designed 
with  a  view  of  meeting  the  demand  for  a  simple 
yet  artistic  piece  of  lawn  furniture,  and  at  the 
same  time  can  be  made  with  a  minimum  amount 
of  skill  and  expense  by  those  who  are  as  yet 
uninitiated  in  this  work.  A  detail  drawing  of  the 


Fig.  Ill — A  Simple  Design  for  a  Concrete  Garden  Bench — 
Executed  by  the  Author 

end  supports  or  the  bench  pedestals  is  shown  in 
Fig.  112,  and  details  of  each  piece  used  in  the 
making  of  the  wood  mold  for  these  end  supports 
are  shown  in  Fig.  113.  The  assembled  mold 
ready  for  placing  the  concrete  is  shown  in  Figs. 
115  and  1 1 6. 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture     145 

The  first  thing  to  do  is  to  procure  a  i-inch 
board,  12  inches  wide  by  16  inches  long,  and  cut 
it  to  the  shape  shown  in  Fig.  113  at  A.  This  is  to 
be  used  for  the  bottom  of  the  mold,  as  shown  in 
Fig.  115.  Now  cut  another  piece  of  board,  also 
i -inch  thick,  shaped  as  shown  in  Fig.  113  at  B,  and 
nail  it  down  in  its  proper  position  on  piece  A. 


M't •?-/«'- 4 


5'- 


•SlyM  Taper 


/V 


-I 


^.  H2 — Detail  of  Bench  Pedestal 


The  next  piece  to  make  is  piece  C  in  Fig.  113. 
This  piece  forms  the  recessed  panel;  this  panel  as 
shown  in  Fig.  1 1 2  is  only  l/2  inch  deep,  therefore 
this  piece  should  be  made  of  i/>-inch  board.  Nail 
this  securely  in  position,  as  shown  in  Fig.  115  on 
piece  B.  Be  sure  to  bevel  the  edges  of  pieces  B 
and  C,  as  shown  by  the  dotted  lines  in  Fig.  115, 
for  if  this  is  not  done,  one  will  have  trouble  in  re- 
leasing the  mold  from  the  concrete  when  it  is  set 


146    Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

or  hardened.  Now  proceed  to  make  the  pieces 
D,  E,  F,  G,  H,  I,  J,  K,  L,  and  M  all  of  i-inch 
thick  material,  care  being  taken  to  follow  the 
dimensions  given  closely.  When  these  pieces  are 


*>h    «,.-/*,&     ~.gi, 
;•;      rl     'j*?~j3 


'0-a~i  £ 

Fig.  113— Details  of  Mold  for  Bench  Pedesta. 

all  made,  assemble  them  as  shown  in  Fig.  115, 
using  as  few  nails  as  possible  in  securing  the  pieces 
to  one  another;  for  when  the  concrete  is  hardened, 
the  form  or  mold  will  have  to  be  removed  from 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture     147 

it,  and  the  fewer  the  nails  used,  the  easier  the 
form  can  be  stripped  from  the  cast.  In  making 
the  form  use  green  or  unseasoned  wood,  as  it  is 
less  liable  to  warp  when  the  wet  concrete  mixture 
comes  in  contact  with  it.  Before  assembling  the 
mold,  each  piece  should  be  shellacked  thoroughly 


Fig.  114  -Concrete  Bench— Executed  by  J.  C.  Kraus 

on  both  sides  as  well  as  on  the  ends.  This  will 
in  a  great  measure  prevent  the  mold  from  absorb- 
ing moisture,  and  will  thus  prevent  any  tendency 
of  the  mold  to  warp  or  buckle.  After  having 
assembled  the  pieces,  as  shown  in  Figs.  115  and 
1 1 6,  if  for  any  reason  the  joints  do  not  match  up 
as  well  as  they  might,  they  can  be  filled  with 


148     Concrete  rottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

putty  or  plaster  of  Paris,  care  being  taken  how- 
ever to  have  everything  square  and  true. 

After  having  trued  the  mold  up,  the  inside  of 
it  should  again  be  shellacked,  and  when  thor- 
oughly dry,  a  thin  coat  of  fairly  thick  oil  should 
be  given  to  all  parts  of  the  mold  which  will  come 
in  contact  with  the  wet  concrete.  The  mold  is 
now  ready  to  be  filled  with  the  concrete  mixture,^ 
which  should  be  composed  of  i  part  Portland 
cement,  2  parts  of  good  clean  sharp  sand,  and  2 
parts  of  trap  rock  or  pebbles  ranging  in  size  from 
l/4  inch  to  l/2  inch.  The  method  of  mixing  the 
concrete  is  as  follows :  It  is  important  to  follow 
the  directions  closely,  for  if  the  concrete  is  not 
properly  mixed,  an  inferior  product  will  be  the 
result.  First  the  sand  should  be  evenly  spread  on 
a  level  water-tight  platform.  The  cement  should 
then  be  spread  upon  the  sand.  Then,  after  thor- 
oughly mixing  the  cement  and  sand  together  until 
it  is  of  a  uniform  color,  water  should  be  added, 
preferably  by  spraying,  and  the  mass  thoroughly 
turned  over  and  over  by  means  of  a  shovel  or  hoe 
until  it  is  of  a  uniform  consistency  of  a  fairly 
thick  putty.  To  this  mortar  should  be  added  the 
stone  or  gravel,  which  has  previously  been 
drenched  with  water,  and  the  whole  mass  should 
then  be  mixed  or  turned  over  until  the  aggregate 
or  stone  is  thoroughly  coated  with  mortar.  An 
ordinary  garden  rake  is  a  good  tool  with  which 
to  distribute  the  stones  through  the  mortar,  as  it 
distributes  them  more  uniformly  than  a  shovel. 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture     149 

The  concrete  thus  mixed  should  be  deposited 
in  the  form  or  mold  as  soon  after  mixing  as  pos- 
sible. Under  no  conditions  deposit  concrete  in 
molds  which  has  been  mixed  more  than  two  hours. 
To  fill  the  mold  use  a  shovel,  care  being  taken  to 


I 

\— 

.1 

4—        -/f—    —  |* 

1 

1 

/  ^g~-  —  •  —  *  i 

\ 

'A'    "~                   ~\ 

<5hoajtny  LoeaJion,  «/• 
AstentMeZ 


£>td.  Yteut  of  Mould 
Fig.  115— Assembled  Mold  for  Bench  Pedestal 

deposit  the  concrete  into  all  of  the  corners.  Tamp 
or  tap  it  down  well  with  the  end  of  a  piece  of 
board.  If  the  concrete  has  been  properly  mixed, 
this  tamping  will  bring  to  the  surface  of  the  mass 
a  slight  skim  of  water.  The  mold  should  first 


150    Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

be  about  half  filled,  and  then  a  strip  of  Clinton 
wire  cloth  or  other  steel  reinforcing  fabric  should 
be  placed  in  the  form,  as  shown  by  the  dotted 
lines  in  the  plan  view  of  the  assembled  mold  in 
Fig.  115.  The  proper  size  of  wire  cloth  to  use  is 
that  known  as  3-inch  by  1 2-inch  mesh,  made  of 
Nos.  8  and  10  gage  steel  wire.  If  wire  cloth  is 


Fig.  116 — Mold  Assembled  and  in  Position  to  Receive  the  Concrete 

not  available,  any  good  No.  8  gage  steel  wire, 
cut  and  placed  as  shown,  will  answer  the  purpose. 
After  having  placed  the  reinforcing,  continue  to 
deposit  the  concrete,  and  tamp  it  down  until  it  is 
level  with  the  top  of  the  sides  D  and  E  of  the 
mold.  Scrape  or  float  this  surface  level,  and  then 
take  the  cross  strips  L  and  M,  shown  in  Fig.  113, 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture    151 

and  secure  them  to  the  top  of  the  mold  and 
against  the  end  pieces  H  I  and  /  K,  as  shown  by 
the  dotted  lines  in  the  side  elevation  in  Fig.  115. 
These  cross  pieces  not  only  act  as  a  form  for  the 
edges  a  and  b  of  the  pedestal,  as  shown  in  Fig. 
112,  but  they  also  act  as  a  brace  to  the  sides  of 
the  form,  and  prevent  them  from  spreading  apart, 


Fig.  117 — Showing  Interior  of  Mold  for  Bench  Pedestal 

due  to  the  weight  of  the  plastic  concrete  pushing 
against  them. 

After  having  secured  these  pieces  in  place,  fill 
the  portion  of  the  mold  thus  formed  flush  with  the 
top  of  the  strips  and  the  end  pieces  G  and  F. 
Tamp  the  concrete  down,  and  smooth  the  surface 
off  nicely.  The  filling  of  the  mold  is  now  com- 
plete, and  it  should  not  be  disturbed  for  at  least 


152     Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

twenty-four  hours,  after  which  the  cement  should 
be  wet  down  occasionally  with  a  spray  for  at  least 
a  day.  After  having  set  or  hardened  for  two 
days,  the  cast  can  be  removed  from  the  mold,  and 
can  be  set  aside  to  be  cured  or  to  harden  up.  This 
is  done  by  sprinkling  it  with  water  two  or  three 
times  a  day  for  at  least  seven  to  ten  days.  Care 
should  be  taken  when  removing  the  mold  not  to 
injure  it  or  the  cast,  as  the  mold  if  not  broken  can 
be  used  over  and  over  again.  In  removing  the 
mold  from  the  cast,  first  detach  the  cross  strips 
L  and  M,  then  the  pieces  H,  I,  J,  and  K,  then  the 
end  pieces  F  and  G,  next  the  side  pieces  E  and  D, 
and  then  the  bottom  piece,  composed  of  pieces 
A,  Ey  and  C.  Before  using  the  mold  again,  it 
should  be  thoroughly  cleaned  of  any  particles  of 
cement  which  may  have  adhered  to  it.  After  hav- 
ing cleaned  it  well,  oil  the  inside  and  proceed  to 
assemble  it  as  before,  and  cast  the  other  pedestal 
for  the  bench  in  a  similar  manner  as  explained 
above. 

The  next  step  is  to  cast  the  slab  or  seat  of  the 
bench.  This  is  5  feet  long  by  18  inches  wide  by 
3  inches  thick.  The  form  or  mold  for  this  is 
nothing  more  or  less  than  an  oblong  box,  having 
a  bottom  5  feet  long  by  18  inches  wide  and  four 
sides  each  3  inches  high,  as  shown  in  Fig.  118. 
The  bench  seat  should  be  reinforced  with  the 
same  size  of  wire  cloth  as  was  used  in  the  pedes- 
tals, or  by  three  ^4-inch  round  rods  spaced  6 
inches  apart.  The  reinforcing  steel  should  extend 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture     153 

within  3  inches  of  all  four  sides,  and  should  be 
placed  about  l/>  inch  from  the  under  surface  of 
the  slab,  as  shown  in  Fig.  118. 

It  would  be  well  to  clearly  mark  the  under  sur- 
face of  the  slab,  so  as  to  know  which  surface  the 
reinforcing  is  nearest  to,  after  the  slab  is  cast,  as 
it  is  important  when  placing  the  slab  on  the  pedes- 


Jtt  Tfits  caje  fiZa.ee  rein/ere  in,* 
at  ff/o  of  htould  tti  JtttcM.  ty 
'  •)  


' If  levttlei  *doe.  il 
Jtiired  OM  etfye  ffjiat 
plate  tri** fitter  strip  « J 
Sbew  *ltnf  tttftiH  cdae 
,J  r»,ulJ 


\~. "  ~.\~.  :vr--^----T-  ---4 


Doitcj  Li 


Deta.il  of  Bench  Top  or  S/ai  SA»u>i*.f 
ould.  . 


Fig.  118  —  Details  of  Bench  Slab  or  Seat  Showing  Reinforcing 
and  Mold  for  Same 

tals  to  always  have  the  reinforcing  nearest  the 
underside  of  the  seat.  Shellac  and  oil  the  inside 
of  the  mold,  and  proceed  to  fill  it  with  a  mixture 
composed  of  the  same  material  as  was  used  for  the 
pedestals.  First  fill  the  mold  to  a  depth  of  ^ 
inch,  and  then  lay  in  the  reinforcing  as  indicated 
in  Fig.  1  1  8,  and  on  top  of  this  place  the  remaining 


154    Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

iy2  inches  of  concrete  and  tamp  it  down  well. 
This  top  surface  will  be  the  top  of  the  finished 
bench  seat,  therefore  it  will  pay  to  take  pains  in 
finishing  it  to  as  smooth  a  surface  as  one  can. 
Cure  or  harden  the  slab  in  the  same  manner  as 
described  for  curing  the  pedestals.  It  is  well,  how- 
ever, not  to  attempt  to  remove  the  under  part  of 
the  mold  for  at  least  from  seven  to  ten  days.  The 
sides  of  the  form  can  be  removed  any  time  after 
forty-eight  hours. 

A  good  smooth  surface  can  be  given  to  the 
bench  by  wetting  it  down  well  and  rubbing  it  with 
a  fairly  fine  grade  of  carborundum  brick.  By 
tooling  the  recessed  panel  in  the  outer  sides  of  the 
pedestals  by  means  of  gently  striking  the  surface 
with  a  chisel  and  hammer,  a  good  stony  effect 
will  be  produced,  which  will  greatly  add  to  the 
appearance  of  the  ends. 

If  on  taking  off  the  mold  the  cast  should  in 
any  way  be  injured,  the  damaged  parts  can  readily 
be  replaced  or  filled  in  by  applying  and  forming 
into  shape  cement  mortar  composed  of  I  part 
cement  to  i  or  2  parts  of  sand.  Before  applying 
this  mortar,  be  sure  to  wet  down  the  surface  of 
the  cast  thoroughly,  for  if  not,  trouble  will  be  had 
in  securing  a  good  and  permanent  bond.  In  set- 
ting the  bench  up,  place  the  pedestals  about  7 
inches  in  from  the  ends  of  the  slab,  as  shown  in  the 
illustration. 

It  is  unnecessary  to  secure  the  slab  to  the  ped- 
estals in  any  way,  as  its  weight  will  keep  it  in 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture    155 

place.  If  one  should  wish  the  top  edges  of  the 
slab  beveled  off,  a  triangular  strip  of  wood  can  be 
secured  along  the  bottom  edges  of  the  mold,  as 
shown  in  the  cross  section  of  the  slab  mold  in 
Fig.  1 1 8. 

By  following  along  the  same  general  directions 
as  given  for  making  the  bench  shown  in  Fig.  1 1 1, 
one  may  elaborate  on  the  design  of  the  bench  ped- 


Fig.  119— Design  for  Bench  Pedestal  with  Curved  Outline  and 
Mold  for  Same 

estals.  For  instance,  in  Fig.  1 19  is  shown  a  pedes- 
tal having  curved  outlines.  The  mold  for  this  is 
made  similar  to  the  mold  shown  in  Fig.  115,  with 
the  exception  of  the  sides.  A  simple  way  to  make 
a  form  for  a  design  of  this  kind  is  to  use  sheet 
tin  or  thin  galvanized  iron,  as  shown  in  Fig.  119. 
If  one  has  not  the  facilities  for  cutting  and  bend- 


156    Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

ing  the  tin  to  shape,  any  tinsmith  will  do  it  for  a 
trifling  cost.  All  that  is  necessary  to  do  in  this  case 
is  to  furnish  the  tinsmith  with  a  full-sized  draw- 
ing of  the  outline  required  and  the  width  of  the 
tin  of  which  to  make  it.  This  width  will  be  the 
same  as  the  depth  of  the  mold,  and  in  no  case 
need  the  depth  of  the  mold  be  more  than  7  inches. 
It  is  always  well  to  brace  these  tin  sides  of  the 
mold  by  means  of  strips  of  wood,  as  shown  in 
Fig.  119.  This  will  prevent  them  from  bulging 
when  the  concrete  mixture  is  placed  in  the  mold. 

Some  very  interesting  surface  effects  can  be 
obtained  in  the  pedestals  by  using  selected  aggre- 
gates or  stones.  When  using  this  method,  the 
concrete  is  mixed  exactly  as  previously  explained, 
with  the  exception  that'  instead  of  using  plain 
pebbles  or  trap  rock,  one  should  use  trap  rock 
and  white  marble  or  broken-up  red  brick.  The 
size  of  the  pieces  used  should  not  exceed  l/2  inch 
to  y+  inch.  Place  the  mixture  in  the  mold  as  prev- 
iously explained,  but  instead  of  allowing  it  to  re- 
main there  for  two  days  as  before,  remove  the 
forms  in  from  eighteen  hours  to  twenty-four 
hours.  The  concrete  will  then  be  found  a  little 
soft.  By  spraying  the  cast  with  water  and  gently 
brushing  the  surface  with  a  good  stiff  brush,  the 
surface  cement  will  be  removed,  and  the  stone  and 
marble  and  pieces  of  red  brick  will  gradually  be 
exposed,  thus  producing  a  surface  more  or  less 
resembling  mosaic.  The  possibilities  of  the  effects 
which  can  be  obtained  with  this  treatment,  as  pre- 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 


157 


viously  explained,  are  only  limited  by  the  colors 
and  size  of  the  stone  aggregates  which  are  availa- 
ble for  use.  If  any  surface  cement  should  remain 
on  the  stones  or  exposed  aggregate  after  the  above 
treatment,  a  solution  composed  of  i  part  com- 
mercial muriatic  acid  to  4  parts  of  water  can  be 
applied  to  the  surface  of  the  cast  by  means  of  a 


Fig  120— Ornate  Concrete  Bench— Executed  by  the  Erkins  Studios 

brush.  This  solution  should  be  allowed  to  remain 
on  the  surface  for  from  fifteen  to  twenty  minutes. 
Then  the  surface  should  be  thoroughly  cleaned  off 
by  means  of  washing  with  good  clean  water  and  a 
stiff  brush.  This  acid  treatment  will  cut  away 
all  surplus  cement  and  will  leave  all  of  the  stones 
clean  and  bright,  thus  producing  a  surface  full  of 
life  and  sparkle. 


CHAPTER   XII. 

CONCRETE    FENCES 

Concrete  fences  are  becoming  more  in  favor 
every  year,  for  the  reason  that  they  always  look 
substantial  and  neat,  and  at  the  same  time  require 
practically  no  expense  for  maintenance. 

The  accompanying  illustrations  are  suggestive 
of  what  is  and  can  be  done  in  concrete  fence  work. 

Foundations 

The  first  thing  to  do  in  building  a  fence  is  to 
prepare  a  good  foundation  or  base  for  it  to  rest 


Mti&S 


JL. 


Fig.  121  —Detail  of  Concrete  Foundation 

on.  Care  should  always  be  taken  to  see  that  the 
base  is  placed  deep  enough  in  the  ground  to 
obviate  all  trouble  which  may  arise  from  frost  or 
the  heaving  of  the  ground  in  the  spring  of  the 
year.  The  depth  of  the  foundation  depends  large- 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture     159 

ly  upon  locality  and  the  nature  of  the  soil,  but 
usually  a  depth  of  from  18  inches  to  3  feet  from 
the  surface  of  the  ground  is  sufficient  to  overcome 
any  trouble  from  frost. 

To  prepare  the  foundation,  a  trench  should 
first  be  dug,  as  shown  in  Fig.  121.  This  should  be 
about  14  inches  wide.  The  depth  depends,  as 
stated  above,  upon  the  locality  and  nature  of  the 
soil.  The  bottom  of  the  trench  should  be  well 
tamped  down,  so  as  to  make  a  good  solid  bottom 
on  which  to  deposit  the  concrete  which  should  be 
composed  of  i  part  Portland  cement,  3  parts  of 
sand,  and  5  parts  of  broken  stone  or  gravel.  This 
mixture  should  be  placed  while  fairly  wet,  and 
should  be  well  tamped  down  and  leveled  off.  The 
foundation  after  having  set  or  hardened  for  from 
one  to  three  days  will  be  ready  to  receive  the 
fence  posts  and  rails  or  panels  which  may  be  of 
various  designs. 

Fence  Posts 

The  fence  posts  are  usually  made  in  wooden 
molds,  and  set  up  and  cemented  in  place  on  the 
foundation  after  they  are  finished.  The  posts 
and  post  caps  are  cast  separately,  as  shown  in 
Figs.  122  and  123.  A  detail  of  the  post  mold  is 
shown  in  Fig.  122.  It  consists,  as  shown,  of  a 
square  box  built  up  of  i-inch  boards.  These 
posts  can  be  made  of  any  desired  dimensions.  As 
a  rule,  a  good  size  is  about  12  inches  square  by 
from  3  feet  to  4  feet  high.  A  mixture  composed 


160    Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

of  i  part  Portland  cement,  2  parts  of  sand,  and 
4  parts  of  broken  stone  or  gravel  should  be  used 
for  making  the  posts. 

The  post  mold  should  be  placed   on   end,    as 
shown  in  Fig.  122,  and  the  concrete  should  be  de- 


Top  ofpostsJuwirtfflocationof 
grooves  in  sides  of  po'st to  receive 
ends  of  panels 


Fig.  122— Detail  of  Wooden  Mold  for  Posts 

posited  while  in  a  pasty  state.  It  should  be  well 
tamped  down,  and  by  working  the  heavy  stone 
away  from  the  sides  of  the  mold,  while  depositing, 
by  means  of  a  wooden  paddle  or  pitchfork,  thus 
allowing  the  finer  particles  of  cement  and  sand 
to  come  to  the  face  of  the  mold  a  smooth  surface 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture     161 

will  be  obtained  on  the  cast.  It  would  be  well  to 
shellac  and  grease  the  mold  before  depositing  the 
concrete.  Be  sure  to  get  the  top  and  bottom  of 
the  mold  square  with  the  sides,  for  if  this  is  not 
done,  more  or  less  trouble  will  be  had  in  truing 
the  posts  up  when  placing  them  in  position  on  the 
base  or  foundation. 

Post  Caps 

The  caps  as  stated  above  are  cast  separately 
from  the  posts.  A  simple  form  or  mold  for  the 
post  caps  can  be  made  as  shown  in  Fig.  123.  This 
is  composed  of  a  wooden  box  made  to  the  desired 


Moulding 


Fig.  123— Petail  of  Mold  for  Fence  Post  Cap 

dimensions  of  the  finished  cap.  The  bottom  or 
curved  portion  of  the  cap,  shown  at  A,  can  be 
produced  by  securing  to  the  inside  bottom  edges 
of  the  mold  strips  of  wood  molding  of  any  de- 
sired shape  neatly  mitered  at  the  corners  as  shown. 
This  molding  comes  in  standard  sizes  and  shapes, 


1 62     Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

and  can  be  procured  in  long  strips  at  almost  any 
carpenter's  shop.  Shellac  and  oil  the  inside  of 
this  mold  well  before  placing  the  concrete,  for  if 
one  neglects  to  do  this,  trouble  will  be  had  in  strip- 
ping the  mold  from  the  cast.  When  stripping  or 
removing  the  mold  from  the  cast,  remove  all  four 
sides  first  before  attempting  to  remove  the  bottom. 
It  will  be  noted  that  the  molding  is  secured  to  the 
bottom  of  the  mold  only,  the  four  sides  merely 
resting  snugly  against  it  when  the  mold  is  assem- 
bled. Care  should  also  be  taken  to  level  off  and 
trowel  smoothly  the  top  of  the  cap  after  the  con- 
crete is  placed  in  the  mold.  Use  the  same  mix- 
ture for  casting  these  caps  as  was  used  in  making 
the  posts,, 

Fence  Panels — Lattice  Design 

Various  designs  are  resorted  to  in  filling  in  be- 
tween the  posts  in  fence  work,  such  as  balasters, 
scroll  designs,  panels,  etc.  The  diamond  or  lattice 
design  of  railing  or  panel,  shown  in  Fig.  124,  is 
largely  used  for  porch  work  as  well  as  fences. 
It  is  cast  in  one  piece  and  is  reinforced  with  a  sheet 
of  6-inch  mesh  No.  4  expanded  metal  placed  in 
the  center  of  the  concrete  strands  which  are  made 
about  2  inches  square.  The  expanded  metal  re- 
inforcing lends  itself  nicely  to  this  design,  inas- 
much as  the  meshes  are  of  a  diamond  shape.  If, 
however,  this  metal  is  not  available,  ^-inch  round 
or  square  steel  rods  can  be  used  for  reinforcing 
the  panel,  with  good  results.  The  method  of 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture     163 

making  a  fence  panel  of  this  kind  is  simple.  All 
that  is  required  in  the  way  of  a  form  is  a  box  2 
inches  deep  by  the  desired  height  and  length  of 
the  panel  which  is  to  be  made.  In  the  bottom  of 
this  box  locate  the  position  of  the  diamond-shaped 
holes.  Then  make  of  wood  as  many  diamond- 


Fig.  124— Lattice  Design  of  Panel 

shaped  blocks  as  are  required,  and  secure  them  by 
nails  in  their  proper  position  to  the  bottom  of  the 
mold.  Allow  a  good  draft  or  taper  on  all  sides 
of  the  blocks  as  shown,  so  that  the  fence  panel 
when  cast  can  be  easily  withdrawn  from  the  mold. 
Before  casting,  shellac  and  oil  well  all  parts  of  the 


164    Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 


mold  that  will  come  in  contact  with  the  wet  con- 
crete. When  the  mold  is  complete,  as  shown  in 
Fig.  125,  place  about  i  inch  of  concrete  in  it,  then 
place  the  sheet  of  expanded  metal  or  steel  rods  in 
position  on  it,  and  proceed  to  fill  the  mold  flush 
with  the  top.  Level  off  the  concrete  and  allow  it 
to  set  for  two  or  three  days,  occasionally  wetting 
it  down  well  with  water.  After  the  concrete  is 
hardened,  the  mold  can  easily  be  removed  by 
gently  tapping  the  surface  of  the  exposed  diamond 


/I '  Wooct 'f/ 


Diamond  blocks' 


Fig.  125 — Detail  of  Mold  of  Lattice  Panel 

blocks  here  and  there  throughout  surface  of  the 
mold.  Any  corners  of  the  cast  that  may  have  been 
broken  or  injured  in  removing  the  cast  from  the 
mold  can  be  readily  pointed  up  with  a  mixture  of 
cement  mortar  composed  of  i  part  Portland  ce- 
ment to  2  parts  of  sand.  The  whole  surface  of 
the  panel  can  then  be  well  wet  down  and  painted 
with  a  mixture  of  neat  cement  and  water  mixed 
to  the  consistency  of  a  thick  cream;  this  on  drying 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture     165 


out  will  produce  a  good  uniform  color  to  the 
whole  piece.  The  concrete  mixture  used  in  making 
this  panel  should  be  composed  of  i  part  Portland 
cement,  2  parts  of  sand,  and  2  parts  of  gravel  or 
broken  stone,  not  to  exceed  ^4  inch  in  size. 

In  setting  this  panel  in  place,  the  fence  posts 


jS'frip  qfrfoadfor 
farming  groove 


/Jctper  <sides  ofvtrip 


Brace  bottom  of  mould  well  as 
shown  here 


J0  Jieinforciitp  Jfoc* 


SSSM'o* 


'f-nidtJi  of  pane l- 
Fig.  126 — Detail  of  Mold  for  Coping 

should  be  provided  with  a  groove  2%  inches  to 
2 >4  inches  wide  by  ^  inch  to  .)4  inch  deep  in  the 
middle  of  their  two  opposite  sides,  as  shown  in 
Fig.  122.  This  is  to  allow  of  the  ends  of  the 
panels  to  set  into  the  posts.  After  having  located 
the  panel  in  its  proper  position  in  the  groove  or 
recess,  the  recess  should  be  filled  in  with  cement 


1 66    Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

mortar  flush  with  the  face  of  the  post,  thus  pro- 
ducing a  good  smooth  finish  as  well  as  firmly 
cementing  the  panel  in  place. 

Copings 

The  panels  should  be  topped  off  with  a  coping, 
as  shown  in  Fig.  124.  The  underside  of  this  cop- 
ing should  also  be  provided  with  a  groove,  as 
shown  in  Fig.  126,  of  the  same  dimensions  as  the 
grooves  in  the  sides  of  the  posts,  so  that  it  can  be 
let  down  on  and  securely  cemented  to  the  top  of 
the  panel.  This  coping  can  be  cast  in  a  wooden 
mold  made  as  shown  in  Fig.  126.  A  strip  of 
wood,  tapered  on  the  sides  as  shown,  can  be  used 
to  form  the  groove  in  the  bottom  of  the  coping. 
The  mold  should  first  be  filled  to  within  the  thick- 
ness of  this  strip  from  its  top.  The  strip  should 
then  be  centered,  and  the  concrete  filled  in  on 
both  sides  of  it  until  flush  with  the  top  of  the  mold. 
A  mixture  composed  of  i  part  Portland  cement  to 
3  parts  of  sand  and  fine  gravel  will  give  good 
results  for  this  class  of  work. 

Rubble   Panel 

Another  very  effective  panel  for  fences  is  the 
rubble  panel  made  of  field  stone  shown  in  Fig.  1 27. 
This  is  made  in  a  mold  composed  of  four  pieces  of 
2-inch  by  4-inch  lumber.  This  frame  is  made  of 
the  desired  size  of  the  finished  panel.  It  is  then 
laid  down  flat  on  a  good  level  piece  of  ground  and 
filled  in  with  about  i  inch  of  cement  mortar  com- 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture    167 

posed  of  i  part  Portland  cement  and  3  parts  of 
sand.  A  sheet  of  steel  reinforcing  mesh  such  as 
expanded  metal  or  steel  rods  is  then  placed  on  top 
of  this  i  inch  of  mortar,  and  over  the  reinforcing 
is  deposited  about  2  inches  more  of  the  cement 
mortar,  into  which  the  field  stones  are  embedded. 


Fig.  127 — Rubble  Panel 


1 68     Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

The  stones  before  embedding  into  the  mortar 
should  be  well  wet  down.  This  panel  should  be 
allowed  to  harden,  before  attempting  to  raise  it 
from  its  position,  for  at  least  from  four  to  six 
days.  It  should  also  be  occasionally  well  sprinkled 
with  water.  After  it  has  thoroughly  hardened  it 
can  be  set  up  in  place  between  the  fence  posts  in 
a  similar  manner  as  explained  for  setting  up  the 
diamond  design  of  panel.  After  this  panel  has 
been  set  in  place,  the  rough  side  of  it  can  be 
cleaned  off  and  well  wet  down  and  finished,  by 
means  of  plastering  it  with  a  cement  mortar  made 
of  i  part  Portland  cement  to  from  2  to  3  parts  of 
sand. 

Solid  Rubble  Wall 

The  same  rubble  effect  can  be  obtained  in  a  solid 
wall  by  building  up  on  the  foundation  a  wooden 
mold,  as  shown  in  Fig.  128.  This  mold  should 
then  be  filled  in  with  heavy  and  light  field  stone, 
and  when  the  mold  is  filled  level  with  the  top,  a 
fairly  thin  creamy  mixture  of  I  part  Portland 
cement  to  2  parts  of  sand  can  be  poured  into  the 
mold.  This  cement  grout  as  it  is  called  will  find 
its  way  into  all  of  the  crevices  or  voids  between  the 
stones,  and  will  securely  cement  them  together. 
The  mold  should  be  removed  in  from  twelve  to 
twenty-four  hours  at  the  longest.  The  surface  of 
the  wall  should  then  be  scrubbed  down  well  with 
a  good  stiff  wire  brush  and  plenty  of  water.  This 
treatment  will  remove  all  of  the  surface  cement, 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture     169 

and  thus  expose  the  stone  to  view.  If  desired,  a 
coping  can  then  be  cemented  to  the  top  of  the  wall, 
as  shown  in  Fig.  127.  A  wall  of  this  kind  can  be 
made  of  any  length.  Fence  posts  can  then  be  cast 

Wood  spacer  or  spreader  to  hold, 
aides  qf_/brm.  proper  distance  opart 


Fig.  128— Detail  of  Mold  for  Solid  Rubble  Wall 

in  place  at  the  ends,  or  they  can  be  cast  separately, 
as  previously  explained  and  set  up  in  place. 

Assembling  Panel  Fences 

As  stated  above,  when  panels  are  used  in  the 
construction  of  a  fence,  the  posts  should  always  be 
cast  with  a  groove  or  recess  for  them  to  fit  into. 
When  assembling  a  panel  fence,  the  first  post 
should  be  firmly  cemented  in  position  on  the  foun- 
dation or  base  with  a  mixture  of  cement  mortar 


170    Concrete  Potter\  and  Garden  Furniture 

composed  of  i  part  Portland  cement  to  2  parts  of 
sand.  One  end  of  the  panel  should  then  be  located 
in  the  groove  in  the  fence  post,  and  should  be  tem- 
porarily held  in  position  until  the  next  post  is 
moved  up  into  place,  so  as  to  engage  the  other  end 
of  the  panel  in  the  groove  cast  in  its  side.  The 
second  post  and  the  panel  should  then  be  trued  up 
and  held  in  position  by  wooden  wedges.  The 
whole  then  should  be  firmly  cemented  in  place  with 
cement  mortar,  and  the  remaining  posts  and  panels 
set  up  in  like  manner  on  the  foundation  until  the 
fence  is  complete. 

Low  Cement  Copings 

Low  cement  copings,  such  as  shown  in  Fig.  129, 
are  much  in  vogue  along  the  sides  of  paths  as  well 
as  sometimes  being  used  to  indicate  the  dividing 
line  between  two  pieces  of  property.  These  cop- 
ings can  be  easily  constructed  by  the  use  of  two 
boards,  a  few  wrooden  pegs,  and  a  metal  template 
cut  to  the  desired  outline  of  the  top  of  the  finished 
coping.  The  first  thing  to  do  is  to  set  the  boards 
up  along  the  foundation  or  base,  as  shown  in 
Fig.  130,  which  has  previously  been  made  to  the 
desired  width,  then  drive  in  the  wooden  pegs  as 
shown,  spacing  them  about  16  inches  apart.  Nail 
the  side  boards  to  them  firmly,  and  then  line  up 
the  sides  and  level  off  the  top  of  the  boards.  Now 
fill  in  the  space  between  the  boards  with  a  mixture 
of  i  part  Portland  cement  and  4  parts  of  fairly 
coarse  sand. 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture     171 


Fig.  129 — A  Low  Cement  Coping 


172     Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 


,  s(!alr(eiuzecl  sfeet  iratL/brm, 

]  MrooA         /  wett  naited  fa  woo& 


'Iwooa 


rdl-? /£'>**>  J^ 

:::^/S',  £?'  -^Av^, 


fottndafw/t  and - 

Fig.  130 -Detail  of  Mold,  Template,  etc.,  for  Low  Coping 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture    173 

Do  not  make  this  mixture  too  wet.  Now  make 
a  former  or  template  out  of  a  heavy  piece  of  tin 
or  galvanized  iron.  Cut  this  to  the  form  of  the 
desired  shape  of  the  top  of  the  coping,  and  nail  it 
securely  to  a  piece  of  i-inch  board  as  shown  in  the 
illustration.  Place  this  in  position  on  the  top  of 
the  two  side  boards,  letting  the  edges  of  it  lap 
over  the  sides  of  the  boards,  as  shown  at  A. 

Now  on  the  cement  already  placed  between 
the  side  boards  build  up  more  of  the  mixture  until 
it  reaches  high  enough  to  be  scraped  or  cut  off  by 
the  template  as  it  is  moved  back  and  forth  over 
the  top  of  the  side  boards.  Keep  adding  cement 
to  the  top  of  the  coping  and  packing  it  down,  at 
the  same  time  moving  the  template  back  and  forth 
until  a  good  smooth  even  surface  is  obtained  of 
the  same  outline  as  the  cut-out  portion  of  the  tem- 
plate or  former. 

With  this  method  a  coping  of  any  desired  shape 
and  length  can  be  made  at  a  small  expense. 

Balustrades 

Probably  one  of  the  oldest  designs  of  fence,  and 
one  that  is  still  popular  for  certain  architectural 
effects,  is  the  balustrade.  This  is  made  up  of  a 
number  of  small  pillars  set  on  a  base  and  topped 
off  with  a  coping,  as  indicated  in  the  half-tone  illus- 
tration, Fig.  131.  Formerly  these  balustrades 
were  made  of  stone  or  marble,  and  were  used  only 
in  the  highest  class  of  work,  owing  to  their  great 
cost,  due  to  the  fact  that  each  baluster  had  to  be 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture    175 


cut  out  of  a  solid  block  or  piece  of  stone. 
These  balustrades  are  now  made  of  concrete, 
and  are  used  in  places  where  formerly,  owing  to 
their  expense,  their  use  was  prohibitive.  The 
half-tone  illustrations  shown  in  Figs.  132,  133, 
134,  135,  and  136  show  different  views  of  the 


Fig.  132— Four  Sides  and  Base  of  Plaster  Mold  for  Baluster 

plaster  mold  in  which  the  balusters  are  cast,  as 
well  as  the  various  steps  in  the  making  of  a  con- 
crete baluster.  The  first  thing  to  do  in  order  to 
make  the  mold  for  a  concrete  baluster  is  to  pro- 
cure a  model.  This  can  be  of  either  wood, 
plaster,  or  stone,  or  it  can  be  modeled  in  clay* 


176    Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

Perhaps  the  cheapest  way  would  be  to  procure 
from  a  carpenter  or  builder  a  stock  model  of 
a  wood  baluster  of  pleasing  design.  This  should 
be  well  coated  with  two  or  three  coats  of  shellac. 


Fig.  133— Showing  Baluster  Mold  Assembled  with  One  Side  Off 

It  should  then  be  oiled  and  placed  on  the  work- 
ing bench,  as  shown  in  Fig.  137.  A  square 
block  of  plaster  z/,  i  inch  to  il/2  inches  in  thick- 
ness, to  correspond  in  size  and  shape  to  the 
base  B  of  the  baluster,  should  then  be  made. 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture     177 


134— Baluster  Mold  Assembled  and  Being  Filled  with  the 
Concrete  Mixture 


178     Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

This  should  be  placed  and  secured  to  the  end  of 
the  baluster  at  B  as  indicated.  Now  take  some 
modelers'  clay,  and  place  it  along  the  entire  length 
of  the  baluster  from  C  to  D,  as  indicated  by  the 


Fig.  135 — Stripping  the  Mold  from  the  Concrete  Cast 

shaded  portions  E  and  F  in  the  end  view  No.  I. 
Smooth  off  the  surfaces  G  and  H  of  the  clay  to  an 
angle  of  about  45  degrees.  After  having  pre- 
pared the  clay  on  the  model  of  the  baluster  as  de- 
scribed above,  block  up  the  two  ends  by  placing 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture     179 


Fig.  136— Pointing  Up  the  Baluster 


180    Concrete  Potter     and  Garden  Furniture 


against  them  two  pieces  of  board,  as  shown  at  / 
and  /.     Now  get  a  fairly  large  tin  dishpan  and 


Working  board  orteneA 


Fig.  137. — Progressive  Steps  in  the  Making  of  a  Plaster  Mold  for 
a  Baluster 

partly  fill  it  with  water,  and  to  this  add  plaster  of 
Paris,  at  the  same  time  stirring  it  well,  until  the 
mixture  is  of  the  consistency  of  thick  cream.  Pour 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture    181 

this  mixture  over  the  model  of  the  baluster  and 
into  the  cavity  formed  by  the  clay  strips  and  the 
two  end  boards.  Allow  the  plaster  to  set  or 
harden  for  about  ten  minutes,  after  which  time  the 
clay  and  end  boards  can  be  removed.  Now  turn 
the  model  over,  letting  it  rest  on  the  plaster  shell 
just  cast,  as  shown  in  the  end  view  No.  2.  Then 
proceed  as  before  to  cast  a  plaster  shell  on  side  K 
of  the  model,  using  the  clay  sides  and  end  boards. 
After  the  plaster  has  hardened,  remove  the  clay 
and  boards  and  turn  the  model  over  into  the  posi- 
tion indicated  in  the  end  view  No.  3.  Cut  joggle 
holes  in  to  the  angular  faces  of  the  plaster  shell  as 
indicated  in  the  various  half-tone  illustrations, 
then  shellac  and  oil  these  surfaces  well.  Now 
proceed  to  cast  section  L  of  the  plaster  mold. 
After  this  is  hardened,  turn  the  model  over  again 
and  cast  section  N  of  the  mold,  as  shown  in  end 
view  No.  4.  Let  this  harden  for  from  ten  to 
fifteen  minutes.  Now  if  the  angular  edges  of  the 
plaster  have  been  properly  oiled  as  directed,  a 
slight  tapping  here  and  there  on  the  plaster  shell 
will  be  sufficient  to  release  it  from  the  model  of 
the  baluster.  The  'inside  of  the  plaster  mold 
should  now  be  cleaned  up  and  be  given  two  coats 
of  shellac.  After  drying  it  should  be  well  oiled 
with  a  fairly  thick  oil  to  prevent  the  cement  when 
casting  from  adhering  to  it.  Before  assembling 
the  various  parts  of  the  mold,  a  hole  should  be 
made  in  the  center  of  the  piece  A.  This  hole 
should  be  about  l/2  inch  deep  and  large  enough  to 


1 82    Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

receive  the  end  of  a  y2-'mch  round  steel  rod.  Each 
baluster  should  be  cast  with  a  rod  of  this  size 
running  through  it,  from  end  to  end.  This  rod 
not  only  acts  as  a  reinforcing  for  the  baluster,  but 
it  also  helps  to  hold  them  firmly  in  place  when 
setting  them  up  in  the  balustrade.  Now  assemble 
the  various  parts  of  the  plaster  mold,  and  secure 
them  firmly  together  by  irons  shaped  as  shown  in 
the  half-tone  illustrations,  Figs.  134  and  135.  To 
cast  the  baluster,  set  the  mold  on  end  as  shown  in 
Fig.  134,  and  fill  it  with  a  mixture  of  i  part  Port- 
land cement,  2  parts  of  sand,  and  3  parts  of 
broken  stone  or  gravel  not  to  exceed  *4  inch  in 
size.  Mix  these  all  together  thoroughly,  while  dry, 
and  then  add  enough  water  to  this  mixture  to  make 
it  of  a  creamy  consistency,  so  that  it  can  be  poured 
into  the  mold  from  a  pail  as  shown.  After  pour- 
ing let  the  mold  set  on  end,  undisturbed,  for  about 
twenty-four  hours.  At  the  end  of  this  time  the 
concrete  will  be  hard  enough  to  allow  of  the  re- 
moval of  the  mold. 

Before  casting  the  next  baluster,  clean  and  oil 
the  inside  of  the  mold  well.  If  any  part  of  the 
baluster  should  have  been  injured  in  removing 
the  mold,  it  can  be  readily  pointed  up  with  a  ce- 
ment mortar  made  of  i  part  Portland  cement  to 
2  parts  of  sand.  Wet  the  injured  portion  well 
before  starting  to  point  it  up,  for  if  this  is  not 
done,  trouble  will  he  had  in  getting  the  mortar  to 
adhere  to  the  baluster. 

The  base  upon  which  to  set  the  balusters  can 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture     183 

be  made  in  a  similar  manner  as  described  for  the 
making  of  the  low  coping,  previously  explained; 
but  instead  of  having  a  curved  outline  to  the  top, 
the  base  upon  which  to  set  the  balusters  should  be 
made  flat.  Holes  can  be  made  at  proper  inter- 
vals in  the  top  of  the  base,  to  receive  the  ^-inch 
rods  which  are  cast  in  the  balusters,  while  the  ce- 
ment is  still  in  a  soft  state.  This  will  facilitate 
matters  when  setting  up  the  balustrade.  The 
coping  can  be  cast  in  a  square  wooden  mold  in  any 
lengths  desired  in  a  similar  manner  as  described 
for  the  casting  of  the  coping  for  the  lattice  panel 
explained  above.  In  setting  up  the  balustrade  wet 
all  parts  which  are  to  be  cemented  together,  and 
use  a  cement  mortar  composed  of  i  part  Portland 
cement  to  2  parts  of  sand. 

Combination  Metal  Frame  and  Cement  Mortar 
Fence 

This  type  of  fence  is  used  where  a  good,  neat, 
strong,  and  permanent  structure  is  desired.  Its 
life  is  practically  unlimited,  and  the  cost  for  main- 
tenance, when  properly  built,  is  nothing.  No 
molds  or  wooden  forms  are  required  in  its  con- 
struction. It  is  made  up  on  a  steel  skeleton  cov- 
ered with  metal  lath.  In  the  fence  here  illustrated 
expanded  metal  lath  was  used.  A  detail  of  the 
steel  skeleton  or  framework  is  shown  in  Fig.  138, 
and  in  Fig.  139  is  shown  the  progressive  opera- 
tions in  the  building  of  the  structure.  Fig.  140 
shows  the  fence  as  it  appears  when  completed. 


184    Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

On  referring  to  Fig.  138,  a  clear  idea  of  how 
the  framework  is  assembled  will  be  obtained.  The 
posts  are  made  of  3-inch  steel  I  beams,  and  are 
firmly  imbedded  in  a  foundation  of  concrete  15 
inches  square  by  3  feet  deep.  As  shown  they  are 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture     185 

placed  at  8  feet  3  inches  centers,  and  the  total 
height  of  the  posts  from  the  bottom  of  the  foun- 
dation to  their  tops  is  9  feet.  The  top  and  bot- 
tom rails  are  made  of  2^-inch  x  2^-inch  steel 
angles.  It  will  be  noticed  that  the  bottom  rail  is 
placed  with  the  point  of  the  angle  down.  The 
object  of  this  is  to  relieve  the  fence,  to  a  large  ex- 
tent, from  the  upward  pressure  due  to  the  rising 


Fig.  139 — Progressive  Operations  in  the  Making  of  a  Cement 
Mortar  Fence 

of  the  ground  in  the  Spring  time.  If  the  bottom 
was  left  flat  as  is  usually  done,  a  direct  pressure 
would  come  on  it,  but  by  forming  it  as  shown  the 
tendency,  when  the  ground  rises,  is  for  it  to  slide 
off  on  each  side;  thus  relieving  the  fence  of  the 
direct  pressure  which  it  would  otherwise  be  sub- 
jected to. 

Midway  between  the  posts  are  secured  to  the 
top     and    bottom     rail     i-inch  x  i-inch  x  J 


i86    Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

angles,  and  in  the  center  of  these  angles,  as  well  as 
in  the  webs  of  the  I  beams  used  for  the  posts,  are 
provided  three  ^g-inch  holes,  through  which  are 
inserted  three  ^4-inch  round  steel  rods. 

After  this  framework  is  set  up,  metal  lath  is 
wired  to  it.  as  shown  in  Fig.  139,  and  the  steel 


Fig.  140— Cement  Mortar  Fence  Complete 

skeleton  is  then  complete  and  is  ready  for  the  ap- 
plication of  the  cement  mortar. 

The  first  coat  of  cement  mortar  should  be  made 
up  of  i  part  Portland  cement  to  2  or  3  parts  of 
fairly  coarse  sand,  and  should  contain  a  sufficient 
amount  of  long  cow  or  goat  hair  to  form  a  good 
key.  The  first  coat  should  be  applied  to  the  thick- 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture     187 

ness  of  about  i  inch,  and  its  face  should  be  well 
scratched  to  make  a  good  key  for  the  second  coat 
to  bond  to.  After  this  coat  has  been  applied  to 
one  side  of  the  lath  and  has  become  hard,  the  re- 
verse side  of  the  fence,  the  surface  of  which  will 
appear  very  rough,  should  first  be  thoroughly  satu- 
rated with  water  and  then  be  plastered,  to  a  like 
thickness,  with  a  mortar  of  the  same  composition, 
except  that  the  hair  should  be  omitted.  The  posts 
should  be  treated  with  mortar  in  the  same  manner 
as  the  panels,  forming  them  into  shape  as  the  work 
progresses.  The  finishing  coat  can  now  be  applied 
to  both  sides.  The  cement  mortar  for  the  finish 
should  be  of  the  same  proportion  as  used  for  the 
first  coat;  but  before  applying  it,  be  sure  to  satu- 
rate the  first  coat  with  water,  for  if  this  is  not 
done,  a  good  bond  between  the  first  and  finish  coat 
will  not  be  obtained.  The  top  of  the  fence  can  be 
finished  off  square  or  a  coping  can  be  placed  on  it, 
as  fancy  dictates.  If  a  coping  is  desired,  it  can 
be  cast  separately  and  set  in  place,  or  it  can  be 
run  in  place  in  a  similar  manner  as  previously 
explained  for  making  a  low  coping. 

The  surface  of  the  fence  can  be  finished  with 
any  one  of  the  artistic  surfaces  which  are  possible 
to  obtain  with'  this  material,  such  as  a  rough  or 
smooth  surface,  slap  dash,  pebble  dash,  or  rough 
cast.  Even  some  color  can  be  incorporated  if  so 
desired.  The  dimensions  for  the  framework  as 
well  as  the  construction  of  the  frame  as  given  in 
Fig.  138  are  of  a  specific  case,  and  are  given  more 


1 88    Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

as  a  suggestion  as  to  what  can  be  done  along  these 
lines  rather  than  to  follow  in  detail. 

The  general  principles  given  for  the  construc- 
tion of  this  type  of  fence  can  be  modified  to  suit 
any  size  or  shape  of  fence  demanded  by  the  vari- 
ous conditions  that  may  arise. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

MISCELLANEOUS 

Tools 

Aside  from  the  tools  described  and  illustrated 
throughout  the  various  chapters,  which  can  be 
made  as  the  work  progresses,  one  will  require  one 
or  more  of  the  tools  here  mentioned,  depending 
upon  the  class  of  work  which  is  to  be  undertaken. 

Pointing  tools,  steel  float,  wood  float,  rake, 
wire  brush,  scrubbing  brush,  trowels,  straight 
edges,  hoe,  shovel,  nippers  (for  cutting  wire), 
chisel  (for  cutting  steel  bars),  shears  (for  cutting 
sheet  metal),  hand  saw,  wood  plane,  screw  driver, 
hammer  and  a  mixing  box. 

Reinforcing 

There  are  innumerable  types  of  reinforcing 
materials  on  the  market.  To  describe  them  all 
would  take  up  too  much  space;  therefore  the 
author  will  here  only  call  attention  to  the  necessity 
of  using  reinforcing,  and  give  a  few  brief  remarks 
as  to  why  it  is  used.  As  the  term  implies,  reinforc- 
ing is  used  to  strengthen  or  reinforce  the  various 
objects  made  of  concrete.  When  reinforcing  is 
used  in  concrete,  the  product  becomes  a  combina- 
tion of  steel  and  concrete  and  is  known  as  "rein- 
forced concrete."  Reinforcing  is  made  of  steel, 


190    Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture 

and  the  types  which  are  most  used  for  reinforcing 
the  class  of  work  described  in  the  foregoing  pages 
are  in  the  forms  of  metal  lath  and  of  round  or 
square  steel  rods.  Concrete  like  all  other  ma- 
terials expands  and  contracts  under  temperature 
changes;  therefore,  concrete  articles  of  any  size 
must  be  well  reinforced,  not  only  to  give  them  ad- 
ditional strength  with  which  to  withstand  han- 
dling, etc.,  but  also  to  prevent  them  from  cracking, 
due  to  the  contraction  and  expansion  of  the  ma- 
terial under  the  high  temperature  changes,  which 
in  our  climate  varies  from  the  cold  of  winter  to 
th^  warmth  of  summer  to  about  1 10  degrees  Fah- 
renheit. 

Waterproofing 

Like  all  other  materials  such  as  stone,  brick, 
marble,  etc.,  cement  absorbs  more  or  less  moisture. 
If,  however,  proper  care  is  taken  in  the  selection 
of  the  aggregates  and  in  the  proportioning  of  the 
mixture,  there  should  be  little  trouble  in  obtaining 
a  product  that  will  be  sufficiently  impervious  for 
all  such  objects  as  are  described  herein,  such  as 
concrete  pottery  and  garden  furniture.  If,  how- 
ever, one  wishes  to  produce  an  article  such  as  a 
vase,  and  desires  that  it  should  be  absolutely  im- 
pervious or  waterproof,  one  can  make  it  so  by 
using  a  waterproofing  compound.  There  are  a 
number  of  such  compounds  on  the  market,  all  of 
which  have  more  or  less  merit.  The  principle 
upon  which  all  of  these  compounds  Is  based  Is  that 


Concrete  Pottery  and  Garden  Furniture     191 

of  filling  up  the  pores  or  minute  holes  which  are 
to  be  found  in  all  materials  of  a  similar  nature  to 
that  of  stone  or  concrete.  These  compounds  are 
offered  for  sale  in  both  powder  and  liquid  form. 
Some  are  incorporated  in  the  mixture,  and  others 
are  used  as  a  surface  treatment  after  the  article 
is  complete.  The  latter  class  are  the  simplest  to 
apply,  and  will  answer  well  for  the  waterproofing 
of  the  articles  described  in  the  foregoing  chapters. 


INDEX 

VAGB 

Acid,  use  of 101 

Air  bubbles,  how  to  avoid 30 

Alum    .     75 

Amount    of    ingredients    necessary    for    fixed    amount    of 

mixture  104,  105 

Antiques,   reproduction   of 89,     90 

Artistic    possibilities I 

Assembling   fences 169 

Assembling  a  glue  mold 85 

Assembling  of  pedestal 137 

Assembling  plaster  mold 29,  30,  42,     43 

Balustrades 173 

Baluster,   plaster  model   for 175-182 

Benches    144 

Bench  pedestals 149-155 

Box  for  making  round  molds 36 

Caen    stones 103 

Carborundum  brick 154 

Cardboard    molds 46-48 

Case,  plaster 27,  28,  29,     41 

Casting  ornaments  in  sections 130 

Casting  plaster,  method  of .     23 

Clay 21,  34,     48 

Clay,  covering  model  with 60,     65 

Color   pigments 95 

Color,  test  pieces 95 

Colored  cements. •. 89 

Colored  mortars,  preparation  of 96 

Colors,  wide  range  of 96 

Combination  casting  and  modeling 45~S8 


Index  193 


PAGE 

Combination  glue  and  wood  core 87 

Combination  metal  and  cement  mortar  fence 183 

Concrete  fences 158 

Concrete  mixtures,  preparation  of 99 

Copings    for    fences 166 

Core,  collapsible  wood 166 

Core,  combination  cardboard  and  sand 46-48 

Core,  piece  or  sectional 26,  27,  35,  36,  43 

Core,  plaster 24 

Core,    solid 25 

Concrete  pedestals 122 

Consistency  of  mortar 10,  ,30 

Cow's    hair 186 

Curing  cement  casts 32 

Curing  colored  cements 98 

Cutting  out  designs 90 

Cutting  plaster 39 

Depositing   the   cement 30 

Designs  in  colored  cement 89 

Double  tin  for  melting  glues 67 

Duplicate    pieces 19 

Egyptian    vase 45 

Fences,   concrete 158 

Fences,   foundations  for 158 

Fence  posts 159 

Fence  post  caps 161 

Field  stone,  use  of,  for  fences 107 

Finishing    coat r. 11-14 

Flexible  molds 59 

Forming  round  plaster  molds 37-4° 

Forms,  wire 2-9 

Foundations  for  concrete  furniture 141 

Foundations  for  fences 158 

Frames,  wire 2-9 

Framework   for  fence 184 

Funnel   for  glue  molds 63-67 

Garden  furniture ...                  122 


I94 

Gelatine    67 

Glue,  best  kind  to  use 66 

Glue,  double  tin  for  melting 69,  71 

Glue,  method  of  preparing 67 

Glue  molds 59 

Glue  molds,  assembling  of 75 

Glue  molds,  method  of  making  simple 59 

Glue  molds,  using  old 88 

Glue,  time  required  to  harden 73 

Goat's  hair 10 

Granite 103 

Hand-modeled  vase no 

Handles  for  Egyptian  vase 53 

Hardening  of  cement ;  time  required 30 

Heavy  relief  work 59 

Importance  of  water 58 

Initial  set 108 

Inlay  work  in  colors 93-96 

Inlaying  of  tile 113 

Joggles    23.  24 

Lattice  design  for  fence  panel 162 

Limestone    103 

Low  cement  copings 170 

Marble   dust 11 

Mineral    colors 94,  95 

Mixing  plaster 22 

Models   19.  20,  40 

Mold  for  solid  walls 109 

Modeling  in  cement 50 

Modeling  over  wire  frames 10 

Modeler's  clay.     (See  Clay.) 

Moravian  tile 117 

Muriatic  acid 101 

Negative  mold 117 

Oil   20 

Panels,  for  fences • 162 

Paper,  covering  model  with 60 


Index  195 

PAGE 

Pedestals   122 

Plaster,  method  of  mixing 22 

Plaster  models 39,     40 

Plaster  molds 19-43 

Plaster  molds  for  curved  objects .33-44 

Plaster  mold  for  square  box 20,    31 

Plasterer's   hair , 10 

Pointing  up 121-136 

Portland  cement  mortar 2-11 

Pouring  the  cement  mixture 30 

Preparing  glue (9 

Proportion  of  aggregates 99 

Red    granite 103 

Reinforcing 55,  124,  132,  134,  150,  153,  164,  167,  182,  189 

Removing  cast  from  mold 31 

Round  core,  sectional 35 

Rubble    fence    panel 166 

Sand 105-107 

Sand,  grading  of 106 

Sectional    glue    molds 77 

Sectional    wood    mold 128,   129,  131 

selection    of    aggregates 99 

Scratch    coat 10-14 

Scratch    coat    for    fence 187 

Shellac     20 

Size  of  aggregates 101 

Slab  for  bench  seat 1 52 

Solid  core,  method  of  rentoving  from  cast 116 

Stones     99 

Sundial     pedestals 140 

Surface    finishes 103 

Tamping    49 

Templates   13,  14,  16,  17,  36,  40,  50,     52 

Templates    for    copings 172,  173 

Three-piece  outer  mold .33,     34 

Tile,  method  of  inlaying 117 

Time  required  for  cement  to  set 3° 


196 

Tin  for  molds , 15^ 

Tools 189 

Tooled  panels 129 

Turning    plaster    molds 37 

Uniform   mixing 108 

Use  for  old  glue  molds 88 

Varnish  for  glue  molds 75 

Vent   holes '05 

Voids    105 

Wall,    solid    rubble 168 

Washing   sand 107 

Water,  importance  of ~'S 

Waterproofing     190 

Waterproofing  glue   mold 74 

White    marble 103 

White   Portland  cement 94 

Wire  frames  or  forms 2-9 

Wire  lath 3,  5,  6,    8 

Wood  core,  solid 1 16 

W^ood  model  for  square  box 20 

Wood  molding,  use  of 1^5 

Wood,  proper  kind  for  molds 147 

Wooden    molds nc 

Working   board 20-22 


rta. 


. u. ,„„,„,, iiniiinni IIH n inn  II |||| || |    |     | 

3  1158  00321  0860 


V 


